Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

A loud, repetitive beep roused Takato from his deep slumber, and he groaned as pain coursed through his body.

What truck hit me?

Bright lights blinded him, and the faint sounds of chatter that had filled the area faded.

Blinking floaters out of his vision, the boy found that he was in a white room with wires attaching him to various machines. 

I’m in a hospital?

The boy tried to recall what led him to this point without success. His mind was too scrambled to remember that particular detail.

A more important realization struck him a second later.

I’m in the Real World?

A wave of excitement coursed through him before the more realistic side of him buried it. After the Parasimon Invasion a year ago, he and Guilmon had failed to escape the Digital Zone. After a long journey to see the Digimon Sovereigns, their hopes of finding a way home were dashed.

After the Invasion, a Firewall had been put in place, sealing the barrier between worlds. Humans and Digimon were now completely segregated from one another. Unfortunately, Takato ended up on the wrong side of the barrier. It took him a long time to come to terms with knowing he would never see his family and friends again, but time healed all wounds or at least numbed them. After coming to terms with his loss, he was hard-pressed to believe he’d somehow made it back home. He couldn’t handle the disappointment of being wrong.

This must be a Digimon Hospital.

Takato had never heard of one existing in the Southern Quadrant, but the world had gone through many changes as it rebuilt after the D-Reaper’s destruction. Things could be different for all he knew.

A moment later, a very human nurse leaned over him, stealing whatever remaining thoughts he had in his mind. Instead, all he could do was gape like a fish in complete incomprehension.

“You’re awake,” she said, a warm smile spreading across her pretty face. “I’m glad. You had us worried.”

“W-what…” he choked, throat too dry to form any other words. He coughed instead.

The nurse moved out of his visual field before returning seconds later with a cup of water which she guided to his mouth; the straw pointed towards him.

Takato hadn’t realized how parched he was until he started drinking. Once he started, he couldn’t stop, even going as far as to ask for a second cup.

It didn’t take long for him to regret that decision as the stomach he hadn’t used for months rebelled against the intake.

He hadn’t needed to eat nor drink in the Digital World. Real World physiology was about to kick his ass.

The nurse must’ve recognized the look on his face as she was quick to grab an emesis basin before he expelled what he’d just took in.

“Sorry.” The nurse ran a soothing hand through his sweat-drenched hair as he coughed and retched.  “I should’ve advised you to take it easy. You’ve been asleep for three days now.”

That long?

Takato spat in the basin, trying to eliminate the rancid taste from his mouth before straightening up.

“No, it’s my fault,” he rasped, nodding in thanks for her efforts to ease his discomfort. “I should’ve known better than to drink that fast. Mom always told me I’d make myself sick doing that.”

“Do you want any more water?” The nurse took the basin away once she was certain Takato wouldn’t throw up again.

“No, thank you.” No need to tempt fate twice.

“Do you feel up to answering a few questions? We’ve waited a long time to learn your name after the accident.”

Accident?

Takato frowned. A memory lingered just out of reach, leaving him clueless on how he’d arrived in the Real World and what condition he was in. Then he realized he hadn’t answered the nurse’s question.

“I’m Matsuki Takato.”

“How old are you, Takato?” The nurse asked after jotting a few notes down.

Takato wrinkled his nose as he considered the question. He’d lost track of time in the Digital World, but he still had a rough idea of how old he was.

“Eleven… I think. You mentioned an accident earlier. What did you mean by that?”

“You don’t remember?” The nurse’s lips thinned with worry when he shook his head.

“Did something happen to my parents?”

Takato’s heart started to race as the disconcerting thought took root.

“I can’t say. There were too many people injured when the apartment complex collapsed. We assumed your parents had to be nearby when we found you amongst the debris but so far, no one’s come forward on your behalf.”

“I wasn’t with my parents,” Takato admitted, relieved. He didn’t live in an apartment complex, so that, at least, meant his parents hadn’t been in the line of fire. He was curious to know more about the accident and how he’d ended up there, but there were pressing questions on his mind. “Where am I?”

“You’re in Tokyo General Hospital.”

While relieved that he was in his native city, that knowledge led to more questions.

“Where are my parents?” If they knew he was back in the Real World and the hospital, they would be here in no time flat. Not to mention there was no way Hypnos wouldn’t know. They would have detected the Digital Field he came from.

“We’ve been wondering the same thing,” the nurse admitted. “So far, no one has come to see you. We found no identification on you, nor did anyone file a missing person report for a child matching your description. Now that you are awake, we may have better luck finding them. What are their names?”

“Matsuki Takehiro and Yoshie.”

The nurse jotted the names down and then proceeded to ask other identifying information needed to find his parents.

A lot could happen in a year. His parents could have moved away after he went missing, or maybe they…

He shook his head, purging his thoughts of his parents’ possible death from his mind. They were alive. They had to be.

Losing them would be the worst thing that could happen to him. It would be just as bad as losing Guilmon.

Takato’s heart skipped a beat as he finally realized what was missing.

Where’s Guilmon?

His heart monitor started to beep more rapidly than before as his pulse and breathing quickened, leaving him light-headed.

While Takato couldn’t remember much about his return to the Real World, he knew Guilmon had been with him. Over the past year in the Digital World, they had spent more time Biomerged than not.

If Takato was in the Real World, so was Guilmon.

Where is he?

Long forgotten fears of Guilmon being captured or killed by the government came back to the surface of his mind. Logically, he knew Hypnos would never let that happen, but their powers were limited.

“Are you okay?”

The nurse squeezed his shoulder gently, trying to ease his anxiety.

“I know you’re scared, but I need you to breathe with me. Can you do that?”

Red eyes met warm brown, and Takato did his best to comply with her request.

Slowly, her efforts to calm him worked, and his mind cleared. Guilmon may not be with him now, but Takato would find him.

“Are you okay now?”

Takato nodded with a soft smile. “Thanks, er…”

“Nakamura Keiko,” the nurse introduced herself. “Don’t worry. We’ll find your parents. You’ll be home before you know it.”

“I hope so.” The sooner he left the hospital, the sooner he would find Guilmon, his parents, and his friends. He’d forgotten how much he had missed them until now. “Was anyone with me when the rescue workers brought me here?”

Keiko shook her head.

“You were alone from the moment you were found.”

Takato’s shoulders drooped. Guilmon wouldn’t leave him alone of his own volition, not if he could help it. The process of bio-emerging into the Real World must have separated them.

“Were there any weird fog banks around the time of the accident?”

“How did you know?” Keiko asked, eyes wide in surprise.

“Call it a wild guess,” Takato hedged. While the existence of Digimon was no longer a secret after the D-Reaper, the Tamers still preferred to keep most information about the Digimon quiet. There was no need for the general public to know about the fine details of how Digimon traveled between the worlds. “How many were there?”

Keiko glanced up as she considered the question, trying to recall the details. “I think there were two, according to the weather report from that day. One around the area of the apartment complex and another one miles away.”

Takato made a note of that for later. That may be where Guilmon was.

“You must be tired. Take some time to rest. I’ll let the doctor know you are awake and pass on the information you’ve given so that we can find your family. You can use the call button to reach me if you need anything,” Keiko advised before leaving him on his own.

Takato lay back on his bed, both physically and mentally exhausted. Now that he was alone, he could finally process his fragmented memories.

What’s the last thing I remember?

After learning he was stuck in the Digital World, he spent the first couple of months wandering through the Southern Quadrant, hoping that he would find a way home one day.

The Royal Knights soon approached him and took him under their wing, finally giving him a purpose in a world not his own.

He spent the next few months training directly under Omnimon’s tutelage until he was finally deemed ready to join the other Knights on missions.

He’d got the chance to go on his first solo mission, which led him to the outskirts of the Demon Lord’s territory when he’d encountered…

Takato shot into a seated position, wounds he didn’t fully recall receiving protesting the motion.

Daemon, the Demon Lord of Wrath.

Takato shivered at the memory. The way Daemon had been depicted in Digimon Adventure 02 both did and didn’t do the fearsome Digimon justice.

There was no doubt why he gave the Digidestined so much trouble when they faced him. He was crazy strong, even more so in real life as compared to the TV show.

It was a miracle Takato was even alive. It had taken every ounce of his and Guilmon’s combined strength as Gallantmon to keep up with Daemon, and even then, they’d had to call upon Crimson Mode.

Did we defeat him?

Takato’s brows furrowed as he strained his mind for the memory, but nothing came to mind. He sighed in frustration. How he went from fighting Daemon to lounging in a hospital in the Real World without his partner would evade him for some time yet.

His eyes fell on the table next to him, noting his clothes and belongings resting upon it. A hint of gold caught his eye, and he dove forward for his D-Arc, sighing in relief as he saw no static.

The sight of Jeri’s nonfunctional D-Arc following Leomon’s death still haunted Takato's nightmares. He didn’t know what he’d do if his D-Arc showed the same terminal signal.

Glancing at the door to ensure that he was alone, Takato activated the Compass feature of his D-Arc, hoping it would give him a clue as to where Guilmon was.

Moments later, he sighed in frustration and dropped the D-Arc into his lap. No matter what he did, the Compass always pointed at him whenever he tried to find where Guilmon was.

So much for that idea.

Takato couldn’t help feeling disheartened. The D-Arc had never failed him when locating his partner before.

The only lead he had was the two Digital Fields. He would have to investigate them, but he’d have to get out of the hospital first.

Chapter Text

Takato hadn’t realized he had fallen asleep until someone jolted him awake, and his first instinct was to attack his unknown assailant with a thrust of his lance. Instead, his clenched fist nearly struck someone who managed to dodge at the last second, courtesy of Takato overestimating his reach.

I forgot I’m human again.

Blinking the sleep from his eyes, Takato focused on the person he’d lashed out on, a middle-aged man with graying black hair and a thin mustache. He wore a long white lab coat that he straightened as he stood back up.

“I… I’m sorry,” Takato apologized, cheeks suffusing with heat. He hadn’t expected to wake up so suddenly.

The doctor gave him a reassuring smile.

“I should be the one to apologize. After the trauma you went through, it’s no wonder you reacted the way you did. I’m Kurosaki Akihito, the doctor in charge of your care.”

“Thank you for your help.” Takato nodded his head in acknowledgment.

“You had us worried when you didn’t wake up for so long. We couldn’t find the cause.”

Takato scratched his cheek as he considered the doctor’s words. He wasn’t too surprised that he had been unconscious for a prolonged period. Crimson Mode tended to drain him of most of his energy whenever he used it to the point of passing out after using it the last two times. It had never been for this long, though.

Then again, the fight he’d just been in had been more challenging than any of his previous ones.

“I guess I needed the rest,” he said with a shrug.

“I suppose you did. You’ve been through a harrowing experience. Keiko told me you don’t remember much of what’s happened. Is that correct?”

Takato nodded and looked down at his hands. The details of his disastrous last mission were coming back to him, but he still didn’t remember how he’d ended up here. He had no intention of talking about the Digimon.

“Can you tell me about the accident?” Takato asked.

“Would it be okay for me to examine you as I do so?”

“That’s fine.”

“Three days ago, two strange fog banks appeared in the sky out of nowhere. Nobody thought much of them at first until two beams of light shot out from them, one gold that crashed into the apartment complex and a black beam that landed elsewhere. Rescue workers found you near the apartment complex. We believe that you got caught by falling debris.”

Takato’s heart rate picked up, and he swallowed against a lump in his throat as he processed the information. Up until now, he had only worried about how he and Guilmon, wherever he was, landed in the Real World. He’d failed to consider how their violent entry affected others around them.

“Was anyone else hurt?”

Kurosaki pulled his stethoscope off of Takato’s chest and stared at the young boy in surprise, clearly not expecting that to be the young boy’s next question.

“Several people suffered from injuries of varying severity, but fortunately, the local heroes were able to prevent any casualties.”

Takato found the doctor’s terminology odd but figured he must have meant the police, firefighters, and paramedics when he spoke of local heroes. After all, what else could he mean?

All that mattered was the relief Takato felt, knowing no one had died.

“Thank God…”

“You’re such a kind-hearted child. Most children would have been more concerned about their wellbeing rather than others’. You, at Ground Zero, had the most severe injuries.”

“What kind of injuries did I have?”

“Bruised ribs, several lacerations, burns covering the majority of both of your arms, and countless bruises,” the doctor summarized.

Takato looked down at himself, frowning. Sure, he had several bandages covering him, but he didn’t feel all that injured. When he voiced that concern, the doctor smiled.

“That’s because I have a healing quirk. I’m not quite at Recovery Girl’s level, but I was able to accelerate your healing a good deal. You’ll be sore for a while, but you should be able to make a full recovery with minimal scarring. It would be a shame for you to deal with lasting damage when you have so many years of your life still ahead of you.”

Takato stared at the doctor blankly as if he had spoken an entirely different language. A sense of foreboding settled deep in his stomach.

“What’s a quirk?”

The doctor paused mid-examination and straightened up, mirroring Takato’s expression before confusion gave way to concern.

“You don’t remember? Just how much of his memory did he lose?” Kurosaki muttered, the last part likely not meant for Takato’s ears, but he’d heard it anyways. He chose not to counter the doctor’s belief. Playing dumb may be the best way to obtain more information.

“What’s a quirk?” Takato asked, trying to hide his impatience. He had no idea what he was talking about, and he certainly didn’t know who ‘Recovery Girl’ was.

The ensuing explanation blew all of Takato’s hopes of being home out of the water. Things couldn’t change that drastically in a year. From what the doctor said, quirks had been around for a couple of centuries, at the least.

“What year is it?” He asked, wondering if he’d ended up in the distant future instead.

“20XX.”

Takato slumped back against his bed. It was 2002 when he’d left his world. While still years in the future, it didn’t match up with the historical timeline of this world.

So I am in another world.

The idea wasn’t as farfetched as one may have thought.

The Digimon Sovereigns once told him that there were separate Real Worlds attached to each of their Quadrants. He must’ve ended up in one of those.

His chances of getting home were already slim in the Digital World. Now, they were all but gone.

Tears pricked his eyes as he came to terms with how hopeless his situation was.

It was hard enough to be separated from his family and friends. Now he lost the makeshift family he’d had in the Digital World.

How many times will my life uproot?

He never even had the chance to say goodbye to everyone he left behind.

Without all of his memories, he didn’t even know what was going on in the Digital World or what kind of mess he’d left for the Royal Knights to clean up.

I’m so sorry.

This time, Guilmon wasn’t there to soften the separation.

He’s here somewhere. I know he is. All I have to do is find him.

“Don’t worry. I’m sure your memory will return to you in time,” Kurosaki tried to soothe Takato, misconstruing the cause of Takato’s distress.

“I hope so,” Takato replied, not meeting the doctor’s eyes.

“Things will get better once we find your parents. They should be able to help you regain the missing pieces of your memory,” the doctor advised.

“Any luck finding them?” Takato asked, knowing the chances were slim to none. He couldn’t help hoping that his suspicions of being in another world were wrong.

Kurosaki hesitated for a moment before he shook his head.

“Nothing’s come up in our system in regards to your parents based on the information you’ve given us. We’ve passed the details onto the police in hopes they will have better luck. You’re currently in state custody since no guardian has come to claim you.”

“What if… what if no one finds my parents?”

The doctor studied Takato’s face silently for a few moments, making him squirm, before finally responding.

“In that case, you would be placed in the custody of another relative.”

Takato’s cousin, Kai, and their grandfather lived in Okinawa, but they wouldn’t be found either.

“What if I don’t have any other relatives?”

Kurosaki’s frown deepened, taking note of Takato’s discomfort.

“Is there anything you want to tell me?”

Takato swore inwardly. Of course, the doctor would get suspicious from the current line of questioning. Rika always told him he was a lousy liar.

“It’s just… I’m scared,” Takato finally stuttered out, fiddling with his blanket.

“What are you scared of? You can tell me,” Kurosaki encouraged.

“What will happen if you can’t find my family?”

“If we weren’t able to find your family, we would have no other choice but to place you in an orphanage.”

“Oh…” Takato’s fidgeting worsened as he became more agitated. He never hated being a child more than he did at the moment. In an orphanage, he may never get the chance to search for Guilmon or a way home.

“Don’t worry. That would only happen if we didn’t find your family. Don’t give up hope yet. Have faith in the system.”

Takato appreciated the doctor’s attempt at comforting him even though it was futile. He already knew how the search would go.

He would see how things went for now, but if somebody jeopardized his chances of finding his partner, he would run.

He survived in the Digital World. He was sure he would be able to do the same, if not better, in the less brutal Human World.

“How long until I can leave the hospital?”

“If you continue healing at the same rate, it may take only a couple of days before you get discharged. During this time, we’ll do our best to sort out your guardian status. Don’t worry. We’re not going to abandon you to the streets. You’re in good hands.”

Takato took a deep breath. He’d have to figure out an appropriate escape plan before he got handed off to whatever orphanage they found for him.

It couldn’t be as hard as fighting the Devas or the D-Reaper.

“We were unable to find any previous medical records for you, so I’m going to have to ask you several questions. I know you may not remember everything due to your memory loss, but try your best, okay?”

Takato nodded in acquiescence and cooperated with the multitude of questions the doctor had left for him before he finally came to the last one.

“I don’t expect that you will remember this one, but I have to ask it anyway. What is your quirk?”

Takato didn’t even waste time pretending.

“I don’t have one.”

The doctor faltered as he heard the quick response, looking up from his clipboard to stare straight into Takato’s eyes.

The boy’s hackles rose, and he barely suppressed the urge to growl like a feral Guilmon would due to the tense atmosphere. He’d started to relax in the doctor’s presence but found it less easy to do so in the face of the doctor’s… pity?

“Oh, I see..” Kurosaki muttered as if he’d just connected two pieces of a puzzle.

Takato wondered what kind of conclusion he’d come to, but somehow, he didn’t think the doctor would tell him.

“I’ll come back to see you tomorrow, hopefully with more answers for you. Rest up until then, okay?” Kurosaki bowed before leaving Takato alone all over again.

Chapter Text

Tsukauchi Naomasa had his hands full ever since the mysterious fog bank incident three days ago. No one had imagined the incident would cause as much difficulty as it had.

While the fog banks had disappeared soon after they initially came into existence, the damage that resulted from them was nothing to laugh about.

All electronics in the vicinity of the fog banks had malfunctioned, leading to several car accidents in addition to the damage that came from the collapsed apartment complex.

The police were no closer to finding what crashed into the building with sufficient force to make it collapse. They had no luck at the other site, and no villain had claimed responsibility for the incident.

All this trouble and nothing to show for it.

Tsukauchi ran a tired hand through his hair before slumping down in his desk chair. The public was clamoring for answers, and they had none.

A few close-up shots of the gold beam of light revealed a large silhouette obscured by crimson cloth, but when they searched for anything matching that description at the crash site, all they found was a child crumpled amongst the debris.

The police thought the red silhouette belonged to the boy, but they quickly dismissed the theory. The child was too small to be what they’d seen within the gold light, and there was no way he would have survived the initial impact and the sixty-foot fall that had followed, quirk or no quirk.

I wonder how the kid’s doing now.

Last he heard, the child had been taken to Tokyo General Hospital stuck in a coma.

Curiosity piqued, Tsukauchi walked to where his colleague, Tamakawa Sansa, sat.

“Have you heard anything about the condition of the child we found at Ground Zero?”

Tamakawa’s cat ears twitched as he turned towards Tsukauchi.

“The child’s nurse called a few hours ago. The boy, Matsuki Takato, finally woke up.  They asked for assistance in searching for his parents, but that’s where things get strange….”

“What’s strange?” Tsukauchi doubted it would be challenging to find the child’s parents.

“There’s no record of a Matsuki Takehiro or Yoshie. There’s no record of a Matsuki Takato either. I tried to look up the home address provided and, while there is a bakery like reported, a family with no children runs it. I’ve expanded my search to other cities, but so far, I’ve had no luck. Either the kid came out of nowhere, or he is lying about his and his family’s identities.”

Tsukauchi frowned. The boy’s lack of records was the last thing he’d expected. It was a loose end that would niggle at him until he found out the truth.

“Has anyone come forward to claim him as their child?”

Tamakawa shook his head and blinked as Tsukauchi headed back to his desk and grabbed his coat and hat.

“Where are you going?”

“This boy was in the middle of all of the chaos a few days ago. The more I think about it, the more I think he may have a valuable clue about what happened. Don’t you want to find out the truth?”

Following Tsukauchi’s train of thought, Tamakawa was quick to follow him out.

Only a few hours had passed since Takato awakened, and he already wanted to sleep for another few days. He was having a hard time processing his new reality when his mind was stuck piecing together the remnants of his previous one.

Did I defeat Daemon? How did I cross over into the Real World when there was a Firewall between the worlds? Does anyone know I’m still alive?

His heart ached as he thought of the Royal Knights. Since they found him, the Knights became his quirky, if not overprotective, family, with Alphamon and Omnimon taking the roles of mother and father, respectively. They had been reluctant to let him go on a solo mission, insisting he was too young and inexperienced. It took a lot of convincing for them to let him leave the stronghold that had become his home in the Digital World. He couldn’t imagine how they felt now that he was gone.

Yet another family I’ve left behind to worry about me.

He groaned and ran a hand through his matted hair before covering his eyes with a bandaged arm. Everything seemed to bother him all of a sudden. Every light, every sound, every smell. Even his skin crawled with hypersensitivity. He passed it off as a result of his three-day coma even though something inside of him knew that wasn’t the case. He had bigger things to worry about now.

There were too many questions and not enough answers.

I wish Henry were here. He’d know what to do.

“… going to eat?”

“Hmm?”

Takato unconverted his eyes and met Keiko’s concerned gaze. Sitting up, he stared at the cooling food in front of him.

I forgot about that.

Takato’s stomach rumbled, and he clutched his midsection with a grimace as a sharp pinching sensation followed it. He was undoubtedly hungry, but his body gave conflicting signals. After not eating for so long, he didn’t know how his stomach would handle it. He didn’t want a repeat of his episode with the water.

“Do you not like the food?” Keiko asked. “Do you want me to get something else for you?”

“That’s not necessary,” he reassured her. 

To put her at ease, he took a bite of his omurice. The food tasted fantastic and yet foreign at the same time. It was harder than he thought to swallow the mouthful, his mind arguing with his body over what he needed for survival.

His stomach roiled with every following bite, and Takato stopped eating after only finishing half of his meal.

“Is that all you’re going to eat?” Keiko asked, stepping forward. “Your body will need more calories if you want to heal properly.”

“I’m full.”

“Not even a few more bites?”

She sighed when he shook his head but set the food aside as he wished.

“Do you need anything else?”

“Could I bathe?” Takato asked, glancing at all of his bandages.

“Of course you can. You’re due for a dressing change as it is. Let me help you with those, and I can get you a new gown. Will you need any help with your bath?”

“No,” Takato said quickly, flushing. “I can take care of myself.”

Of course, he proved that wrong the moment he tried to stand up, and he nearly fell. He fell back onto the bed with a yelp, not expecting that his legs would refuse to hold his weight. Not only that, but his center of gravity was off. When standing, he’d expected to be taller than he really was.

Habits die hard.

It would take Takato a while to re-acclimate to his human form again.

“Are you sure you don't need help?” 

“I’ll be okay.” 

“At least let me help you to the bathroom.”

“Fine...”

“Can I help you?”

Tsukauchi and Tamakawa turned around as the nurse left Takato’s room.

They pulled out their badges and introduced themselves.

“You were the one I spoke with on the phone,” the nurse commented, smiling at Tamakawa. “I’m Nakamura Keiko, Takato’s nurse. What brings you here so late? Did you find his parents?”

“That’s why we’re here. We had a few questions for Mr. Matsuki.”

“He just went to bathe,” Keiko admitted with an apologetic smile.

“We can wait,” Tsukauchi said. “It’s our fault for coming without notice.”

“Is there anything I can do in the meantime?” 

Tsukauchi considered the nurse for a moment before speaking up.

“We wanted to get a few details to narrow the search for Mr. Matsuki’s parents. He told you about them first, right?” Tamakawa asked, and she nodded.

“Did anything seem strange when he spoke of his parents?” Tsukauchi asked, making her frown in confusion.

“Not at all. Why do you ask?”

“I’m just trying to cover all bases,” he assured her. “Did he hesitate at all when giving you the information?”

“No. Takato divulged his parents’ names readily. He’d only woken up a few minutes before I asked. I don’t think he could have lied if he wanted to. His answers were automatic.”

Tamakawa and Tsukauchi shared a glance. It would be hard for anyone, much less an eleven-year-old child, to lie so convincingly right after waking, but there was only one way to confirm the truth, and that was to speak to the boy.

“What are your thoughts about Matsuki Takato?” Tsukauchi asked Keiko.

“He’s a sweet and brave child. Despite his many injuries, he barely complained. He seemed more concerned about inconveniencing me than his discomfort. He’s a little quiet, but I think any child who went through what he did would be.”

“Did you notice any red flags in your interactions with him?”

Keiko looked down in consideration. 

“I can’t entirely be sure, but Takato almost seemed too calm in the face of the trauma he’d faced as if he’d experienced it before. He scanned for exits almost instantly, kept a hawk’s eye on anyone who entered his room, and nearly attacked Dr. Kurosaki when the doctor accidentally startled him out of his nap. However, I believe Takato hadn’t meant to lash out.”

Tsukauchi and Tamakawa straightened up, eyes sharpening as a new possibility came to mind.

It would make sense for the boy to lie about his parents if they abused him in the past. He could be asking for help to escape a harsh situation.

“There’s also the matter of the scars and tattoos on his body….” Keiko began to fiddle with her fingers in distress as more concerning thoughts came to mind.

“Tattoos?” Tamakawa parroted, cocking his head to the side.

Keiko gestured for the two men to follow her to the nursing station, where she pulled out a chart, opening it to a series of photos of Takato’s injuries.

Tsukauchi winced at the sight of the burns of varying severity covering the boy’s arms and chest. Despite the burns, it wasn't hard to see the strange black markings on the back of the boy’s hands (an upside-down red triangle surrounded by three black ones) and a larger tattoo on the center of his chest (a Hazard symbol). 

Tsukauchi had never seen markings like those before.

“Could this have anything to do with the boy’s quirk?”

“That’s what I thought too, but it turns out Takato is quirkless.”

Tsukauchi shut his eyes and sighed. The more he learned, the more the case looked like one of abuse and abandonment. Far too many quirkless children met similar fates.

“Do you have pictures of his other injuries?”

Keiko nodded before flipping a few pages, showing pictures of Takato’s back.

Tamakawa hissed as the two officers saw the ten long, jagged cuts marring the child’s back, five on each side. 

“There is no way he got those injuries in the apartment collapse.”

Tsukauchi’s brow furrowed. Someone deliberately carved into the boy. He couldn't imagine what the boy must have gone through.

“His wounds look horrible, but thankfully, Dr. Kurosaki, Takato’s doctor, was able to heal the worst of them. The cuts on his back left scars, but the burns should heal without issue. Takato responds well to healing quirks.”

It was good to know that the boy wouldn't be left with too many physical reminders of his trauma, but that didn't mean the boy would be without mental scars.

“Takato doesn't remember the accident, ” Keiko explained when Tsukauchi voiced his concerns. “Dr. Kurosaki believes Takato suppressed the memories due to the extent of the trauma he went through. He may have more insights on the matter if you’d like to speak with him,” Keiko offered.

“Tamakawa can speak with the doctor while I talk with Mr. Matsuki,” Tsukauchi decided. 

“I’ll check on Takato first and then notify Dr. Kurosaki that you would like to speak with him.” The nurse bowed before slipping back into Takato’s room.

Takato gawked at his reflection, not believing what he saw.

Somehow, between the time he’d left the Royal Knights’ stronghold and when he woke in the hospital, he’d gained a few tattoos: twin Zero units on the back of his hands, black checkmarks under his eyes, and the symbol of the Hazard emblazoned on the center of his chest.

He hadn’t noticed them before due to the wound dressings, but there was no hiding them now.

His body also had scars from previous battles, including small puncture scars around his right shoulder from where Mihiramon, the Tiger Deva, bit Growlmon and thin lines across his stomach where the D-Reaper cut into WarGrowlmon. Gallantmon’s ChromeDigizoid armor prevented him from earning any further injuries, but his latest battle would likely leave a few more.

Stiffness in his back caused him to turn so he could inspect it in the mirror, and he got yet another surprise in the form of ten new scars, five on each side of his back evenly spaced out. They were all red and inflamed as if somebody only freshly healed the wounds.

What happened to me?

There was no way the medical staff that took care of him hadn’t seen the tattoos and scars when they tended to him. He had no idea how he was going to explain them. No ordinary eleven-year-old child should have anything like this.

The tattoos remind me of where these marks were on Gallantmon.

Takato paused in redressing as he processed that thought.

Wait a minute.

He reached for his D-Arc, not trusting people enough to leave it out of his line of sight, and accessed the compass.

The compass beeped a few times as it swung from one side to another in consideration before turning and pointing directly at him.

Does that mean Guilmon’s still with me?

That didn’t make any sense to Takato. If they were still fused, why didn’t he look like Gallantmon? He certainly didn’t feel like the Royal Knight. He felt like plain old Takato, but at the same time, the more he thought of it, he didn’t.

While in the Digital World, he’d started to associate his human form as vulnerability, and yet, here he stood feeling anything but, even with all of his injuries.

Shibumi would know what was going on.

Takato’s shoulders drooped as he resumed dressing. Mizuno Gorou wasn’t here. None of the Monster Makers were.

He was in uncharted waters alone, and he had no idea how to feel about it. 

A knock on the bathroom door forced Takato away from his frustrated thoughts.

“Takato? There is a police officer here to speak with you,” Keiko called out.

“I’ll be out in a second.”

Chapter Text

Takato stared at Tsukauchi, marveling over how much he resembled one of the detectives from old-fashioned mysteries with his tan trenchcoat and hat. The man reminded him of his father, making him smile.

The police detective returned the smile as he sat on a chair at Takato’s bedside.

“Good evening, Mr. Matsuki, I am Tsukauchi Naomasa. We have been investigating the circumstances surrounding the apartment complex collapse. We need your statement in regards to it given you are one of the witnesses of the collapse. Ideally, this would take place with your guardian present, but given the current circumstances, that proves to be a little difficult.”

Takato was silent for a few moments, parsing through what Tsukauchi had told him. He didn’t know how to approach the situation. He’d mulled over how to explain his lack of parents and home, but he kept drawing a blank. He had no idea how to lie his way out of the situation but if he told the truth, no one would believe him.

People here have superpowers. Is a different world any less believable?

Seeing that Takato was at a loss for words, Tsukauchi decided to break the ice.

“Ms. Nakamura told me you don’t remember much about the apartment collapse.”

“Not really.”

“Do you remember what you were doing in that area?”

“No.”

Tsukauchi hummed in acknowledgement. 

“Were your parents with you?”

Takato wondered why the detective was asking questions he likely had the answers to already but figured he was double checking the facts.

“No, they weren’t.”

“Where do you live?”

“Shinjuku.”

“When was the last time you saw your parents?”

This time, Takato couldn’t answer readily, his words catching in his throat as he grieved over the parents he hadn’t seen in over a year.

In the end, there was only one thing he could say.

“I don’t remember.”

Tsukauchi’s expression darkened ever so slightly after Takato’s response as if he’d caught him in his lie, but to the Tamers’ relief, he didn’t press any further.

“I know you have already answered many of these questions before but bear with me,” Tsukauchi encouraged the young boy. “What are your parents’ names?”

“Matsuki Takehiro and Matsuki Yoshie.”

“That’s… interesting.”

Takato tried not to squirm under the detective’s gaze.

“What is?”

“You’re telling the truth.”

Takato blinked, thrown by the comment.

“Why’s that interesting?”

“We looked into your parents but there was absolutely no evidence that they exist. In fact, there’s no evidence that you exist. I initially came here to figure out the truth behind your lies but you aren’t lying at all. Save for when you claimed not to remember when the last time you saw your parents.”

Takato stiffened and his grip tightened on his blanket. He hadn’t expected to be called out so quickly, although he had feared it.

“How… how did you know?”

“My quirk allows me to tell if someone is telling the truth or not.”

“Oh…”

“Does that concern you?”

“Not really.”

Now it was Tsukauchi’s turn to be surprised.

“Why not?”

“Because, you may be the only person who would believe me.”

There was no denying that Takato didn’t belong to this world. If Takato had any hopes of finding a way home, he needed to tell someone the truth. He couldn’t do this alone.

He may not know Tsukauchi well but his instincts told him he could trust him. So he would.

Tsukauchi leaned forward. 

“Believe you about what?”

Takato debated on how to address the topic before deciding there was no better way than the direct approach.

“I’m from another world.”

Tsukauchi’s eyes widened and he opened his mouth to say something before closing it, at a loss at what to say.

Takato couldn’t blame him. Other people, especially adults, had a hard time believing anything that didn’t fall neatly into their concept of reality.

“You weren’t expecting me to say that, were you?”

“Definitely not. But you’re not lying as far as my quirk is concerned. How are you so sure that you’re in another world?”

“There are no such things as quirks where I’m from. Besides, the last thing I remember was fighting a demon in an entirely different world of monsters.”

The poor detective looked floored by the info bomb Takato dropped. This was clearly the last thing he’d expected.

Tsukauchi massaged his temples as he struggled to regain his composure.

“Demons? Monsters? I’m going to need you to start from the beginning.”

“It’s a long story.”

“I’ll make time for it,” the detective said. “I’m not entirely sure I believe everything you say but it’s clear that this is your truth. I want to understand it.”

Hope rose in Takato’s chest. He had been afraid his words would be deemed as nothing more than a child’s fantasy. That still may happen but at least Tsukauchi was giving him a chance.

Takato pulled his D-Arc and card deck into his lap, knowing that without Guilmon, they were the only sources of proof he had. He pulled out a card, coincidentally depicting Gallantmon, showing both sides to Tsukauchi before willing the card to change. It glowed before turning a brilliant blue.

The Tamer nodded in satisfaction as he captured the detective’s interest.

“It all started with the Blue Card…”

Tsukauchi never expected the land mine he’d stepped onto when he came to see Takato.

He studied the golden D-Arc in one hand and a handful of his Digimon cards in another as he tried to process everything the Tamer had told him so far. 

A world full of digital monsters fighting tooth and nail to survive. Children partnering with said monsters. A mysterious government organization. Monsters representing the Chinese Zodiac and a rogue computer program hellbent on eliminating all life. 

If it weren’t for his quirk, Tsukauchi would think that Takato had regaled him with a fantastic story straight out of his imagination, but the boy hadn’t lied even once. Tsukauchi didn’t think anyone could fake that level of detail.

“It’s a lot to take in, isn’t it?” Takato asked.

“That’s putting it lightly,” the detective countered. He couldn’t wrap his mind over how the fate of the world had been left in the hands of children who had yet to reach adolescence. “Your parents were okay with you walking into danger?”

“Well, I wouldn’t say they were okay with it,” Takato admitted, scratching his cheek, eyes misted over as he reminisced. “They hadn’t known I was a Digimon Tamer at first. I kept it a secret until right before we went into the Digital World. By that time, I was in too deep for them to stop me. They didn’t like that I was putting myself in danger, but they also understood my responsibility.”

“Responsibility? What responsibility?” Tsukauchi repeated, not able to muffle the hysteria building within him. 

Who, in their right mind, can expect a child to fight a monster that not even the military could defeat?

Takato’s brow furrowed as he reclaimed his D-Arc and cards.

“I’m a Digimon Tamer. It’s my duty to maintain the peace between the Real and Digital Worlds. For the most part, that’s meant fighting whatever Digimon that bio-emerged into the Real World with violent intent. There were a few friendly Digimon that came through that ended up partnering with other kids. That’s why a lot of the Digimon came to the Real World in the first place. At least, that’s how it was before the Devas came into the picture. They hated humans.”

“Why did it have to be you fighting them? Why not leave it to the adults?”

“It’s not like they didn’t try,” Takato said. “Until the D-Reaper, virtually no one knew Digimon were real. Hypnos did their best to contain the threat but, while they were able to block several ‘Wild Ones,’ they weren’t always successful. That’s where we came in.”

“They allowed that to happen?”

“Hypnos tried to stop us over and over, even threatening to take our Digimon from us. In the end, when they realized they couldn’t stop us and that we were able to do what neither they nor the military could they decided to work with us instead.”

Tsukauchi buried his face into his hands, wondering what must have gone through the mind of the government officials’ when they submitted to a group of children’s iron wills. 

Deciding to shelf his alarm over children fighting a war that shouldn’t have been theirs to fight, Tsukauchi moved onto the next big mystery that came with the new information.

“If this isn’t your world, how did you end up here?”

Takato grimaced.

“That’s the thing… I don’t remember. The last thing I remember was fighting against a Demon Lord. The next thing I know, I woke up here.”

“You fought against a what?” Tsukauchi’s heart nearly stopped. He must have misheard.

“A Demon Lord,” Takato repeated. “Daemon, the Demon Lord of Wrath.”

“That’s what I thought you said.” Sweat beaded on the detective’s brow. He didn’t know how many more surprises he could take. “Dare I ask how many Demon Lords there are?”

“Okay-, I mean Alphamon-sama told me that there were seven, but don’t worry. One of them is a friend.”

Tsukauchi gaped at Takato, who smiled innocently.

“You’re friends with a Demon Lord?”

Takato nodded. “Strange, right? You wouldn’t think that when, by nature, we should be mortal enemies, but things aren’t always what you expect. He’s one of the tamed Digimon in our group. He helped us fight the D-Reaper.”

There was a lot Tsukauchi wanted to say about that, but he chose to keep it to himself instead.

“So, did your partner defeat Daemon?”

Takato opened his mouth to reflexively correct something Tsukauchi had said before thinking better of it. In the end, what he told the detective was far from reassuring.

“I don’t remember.”

A chill ran down Tsukauchi’s spine. If Takato had no memory of his arrival in the world or if the Demon Lord had been defeated, there was a chance Daemon crossed over into this world as well.

There were two fog banks.

“How strong are Demon Lords?” 

“Stronger than any Digimon we faced before. They’re all Mega level, and there are only a few Digimon out there that can stand up to them, aside from the four Digimon Sovereigns, but the Sovereigns rarely intervene with what’s going on in the Digital World. The Royal Knights monitor the safety of the Digital World instead. They could probably stand up against the Demon Lords, but even they would have trouble.”

“How powerful is a Mega level Digimon?”

“It’s kind of hard to describe, but an Ultimate level — which is a level below Mega — destroyed half of Shinjuku all on its own before we could stop it, even with the three Ultimate levels we had at our disposal. There’s also an Ultimate level out there rumored to have the same firepower as a nuclear warhead. One Mega level Digimon is exponentially stronger than an Ultimate. Demon Lords are on the highest spectrum of strength when it comes to Mega level Digimon.”

Tsukauchi shuddered as he thought of their world falling prey to a powerful being like that. He didn’t know if even All Might could beat a monster of that caliber.

“Don’t worry. If any Digimon like that comes here, Guilmon and I will take care of it,” Takato promised.

“No, you won’t.”

Takato blinked, not expecting Tsukauchi’s quick denial.

“What do you mean? Fighting Digimon is my job.”

“Not in this world. First of all, you’re a child. Second, Guilmon isn’t with you. Lastly, vigilantism is against the law.”

“But…” Takato started to argue before wilting under Tsukauchi’s stern glare.

“Your world may not have any better defense than you, but that can’t be said about this world.”

“What do you mean?” 

“This world may not have Digimon Tamers,” Tsukauchi said as he typed something on his phone. “But we have Heroes.”

“What?”

“Let me show you.” Tsukauchi handed his phone over to Takato.

The detective expected Takato to press play on the video right away, but the Tamer stared blankly at the phone.

“What is this? A new type of PDA?”

Tsukauchi gawked at the boy. The boy had described an organization with advanced technology, but he couldn’t even recognize a smartphone?

“What year is it where you are from?”

“2002.”

That explains some things, Tsukauchi mused. “This is a smartphone. Cell phones have come a long way in the last several years.”

“Wow…” Takato marveled over the device with interest.

Tsukauchi cleared his throat as he remembered why he gave Takato the phone, to begin with.

“This is what I wanted to show you.” He pressed the play button and observed Takato’s confused expression warp to one of complete awe as he saw All Might’s debut in Japan.

“Who is he?” Takato asked once the video clip finished.

“All Might, Japan’s Number One Hero and our Symbol of Peace. He’s only one example of the heroes that protect us on a daily basis, alongside the Police Force. Therefore, you shouldn’t worry about putting yourself in the line of fire.”

Tsukauchi’s words appeared to alleviate the boy’s concerns, but it was clear something was still bothering him.

“I can’t sit around and do nothing.”

“You’re still a child. You should trust the adults to take care of things. In the meantime, if you wish to rejoin the fight, there is something you can strive to do.”

“What’s that?”

“Become a hero.” While Tsukauchi didn’t like the thought of the willful child getting into danger, he also saw qualities in him that would make him a great hero if he put the effort in. It would be a shame to let his potential die out.

Takato’s jaw dropped, and he took a few moments to regain his voice.

“How do I do that?”

“‘Hero’ is the most sought-after job in the world. Like every other profession out there, you have to go to school for it.”

“There’s a hero school?” Takato looked conflicted as if he wasn’t sure how to feel about that. His scrunched-up face made Tsukauchi chuckle, finding his actions surprisingly cute.

“There are several schools out there, but the best in Japan is in Musutafu, U.A. High School.”

“I’m in Elementary School right now. It will be another three or four years before I’m in High School. There’s no telling if I’ll still be here by then.”

“We don’t know how long it will take to find you a path home. It would be good for you to have a goal to strive towards in the meantime.”

“Don’t I need a quirk to be a hero?”

“Most believe that, but I have a feeling that wouldn’t stop you from being a great hero. From what you told me, you already are.”

Takato cleared his throat, blushing from the praise. Then he seemed to remember something, and he deflated. 

“Don’t I need records to go to school?”

“Leave that to me,” Tsukauchi said. “I have some connections that can help with that. I’ll also see if I can find somebody who may know anything about inter-dimensional travel. I may not be able to find anyone, but I’ll try my best.”

“You’d do that for me?” Takato stared at Tsukauchi with wide, trusting eyes. 

“I know the importance of keeping a secret like this. It may not be a good idea to bring the Multiverse Theory to light, and it wouldn’t be in your best interest to be exposed as something more than an ordinary child. There are a lot of unsavory characters out there that would be all too interested in what you know. They’ve killed for less.”

“Yeah…” Takato scowled. “I met a few people like that in my world who didn’t hesitate to hide their desire to dissect me for the sake of science.”

This kid is going to give me nightmares.  

Tsukauchi wondered if Takato would ever stop surprising him — or in this case, alarming him.

“You’re going to need to elaborate on that.” Tsukauchi may not be able to do anything about what happened in another world, but he needed to know he wouldn’t be sending Takato right back into danger if they did find him a way home.

“After the D-Reaper, our identities were revealed, and we became famous overnight. While most people celebrated us as heroes, some had other ideas. Hypnos did their best to keep us safe.”

“Hopefully, they were more effective with that than they were at keeping Digimon from crossing over into your world,” Tsukauchi grumbled. If the government had done its job correctly, children would have never been pulled into the mess in the first place.

“Oh, they did,” Takato chirped, oblivious to Tsukauchi’s disgruntled thoughts. “They got a lot more support from the government after the D-Reaper.”

“I guess some good things came from bad circumstances,” Tsukauchi conceded. “Now I have a few more questions for you.”

“You listened to my entire story, so answering your other questions is the least I can do.”

“Where’s Guilmon?”

Takato’s shoulders drooped, and his eyes filled with worry.

“I’m not sure. At first, I thought he was in the slums, but my D-Arc keeps pointing at me whenever I tried to look for him.”

Tsukauchi frowned. He didn’t know why Takato’s digivice failed him. “We found nothing in the slums. If Guilmon is as big and clumsy as you make him out to be, there would have been more signs of him.”

“If it wasn’t him, who bio-emerged?”

“If the last thing you remember was fighting Daemon, there’s a high chance that it may be him.”

Takato’s already pallid skin paled further and his eyes constructed as he processed the horrible possibility.

“We have to find him!” Takato tried to climb out of bed, but Tsukauchi stopped him.

“What did I tell you? You can’t act as a Digimon Tamer here. There’s no telling if Daemon was the one who crossed over or not. A presence like his would be hard to miss, and I have yet to hear any report of a devil terrorizing the city. He’s either dead, weakened, and hiding, or he is still in the Digital World.”

“Hopefully, he’s still in the Digital World. I don’t want to imagine what he could do to this world if he were here.”

“Me neither. I’ll have officers keep their eyes peeled for any strange sighting. The local Heroes too. If he’s here, we’ll find him and take care of him.”

Takato didn’t seem convinced by Tsukauchi’s reassurance but didn’t argue against him.

“There’s no use worrying about it right now. We’ll figure out what needs to be done once we have more information. I know it may be asking a lot but just trust me, okay?”

“I do,” Takato muttered, though he didn’t meet Tsukauchi’s eyes, still worried. “I have a question for you.”

“What is it?”

“Are ‘quirkless’ people treated differently?”

Tsukauchi seemed startled by the question before sobering.

“Unfortunately, there is a large population of people who consider those without quirks to be worth less than those with quirks. An unfortunate downside of a superhuman society. Why do you ask?” The detective’s expression hardened. “Did someone say something to you?”

Takato hesitated before divulging the doctor’s sudden change in attitude when he heard of Takato’s lack of quirk.

“I’ll look into it,” Tsukauchi promised, making a note to speak with Tamakawa. If the doctor had only worried about what may happen to Takato due to his quirklessness, that was one thing. Still, if he was genuinely discriminating against Takato, that didn’t bode well to his recovery in the hospital.

“Thank you.”

“Don’t mention it.” Tsukauchi ruffled Takato’s hair. “You’re a good kid. I’d hate to see you slip through the cracks just because the system failed you.”

“I’m glad I trusted you,” Takato said shyly.

 “Me too,” Tsukauchi agreed. “Now, before I leave, I think it would be important to discuss your guardian status, or rather, your lack of one.”

The Tamer’s expression shuttered as he looked away from Tsukauchi.

“What’s on your mind?”

“It’s nothing.”

He’s lying. 

“As you know, we haven’t been able to find your parents. The lack of records mixed with the scars on your body has led people to believe that your parents abused and abandoned you.”

“But they didn’t!” Takato exclaimed, red eyes sparking with anger.

Tsukauchi raised his hands in surrender, hating himself for what he was about to say. 

“I know that, and you know that, but no one else knows the truth. The fewer people who know you belong to another world, the better."

Takato’s mop-like brown hair cast an unsettling shadow over his eyes, and he gripped his blanket with enough strength to make his knuckles blanch white.

“I… I don’t want my parents to be seen as abusers. They would never do that.”

“Then we will have to find another reason behind their absence and your scars,” Tsukauchi said, respecting Takato’s wishes. It may have been easier for people to believe that Takato’s parents abandoned him; that sort of lie would haunt the child. “I’ll figure something out. For now, you’ve had a long day. Get some rest. I’ll come back to see you tomorrow, okay? We’ll both think more clearly after a good night’s sleep.”

“You’ll come back?” Takato looked surprised.

“I can’t exactly leave you to handle everything alone, can I?”

Tsukauchi smiled as he picked his hat up from where he left it on the chair, and he fished a card out of his pocket before placing it on top of Takato’s card deck.

“Here’s my card. You can always call me if you need me.”

“I don’t have a phone.”

“Oh, right.” Tsukauchi gave Takato a sheepish grin. “We’ll have to fix that soon. For now, have a good night, Mr. Matsuki.”

“You can call me by my given name if you like. Mr. Matsuki makes me feel old.”

Tsukauchi chuckled. 

“All right then, Takato. Have it your way.”

Chapter Text

Tsukauchi moved through the hospital in a complete daze, mind clouded by information overload.

Though he told Takato to get rest, Tsukauchi knew sleep wouldn’t be in the cards for him tonight.

The higher-ups expected answers, and despite getting many, Tsukauchi had no idea what he could share.

No one would believe Takato’s fantastical story. Tsukauchi had a hard time with it despite knowing every word Takato uttered was the truth.

A person’s truth was still fallible, as it all depended on what they remembered, and memories could be tampered with.

Takato’s D-Arc and Digimon cards could be nothing more than toys, but Tsukauchi had never seen cards like those before, and Takato had turned one into a Blue card.

For the life of him, Tsukauchi couldn’t imagine why anyone would alter Takato’s memories to produce such a detailed farce.

Despite all of the doubts floating through his mind, Tsukauchi believed Takato’s story.

The detective had never met a child with eyes that burned with as much conviction as Takato’s did. The Tamer witnessed countless horrors and faced them head-on, even knowing he could lose his life.

Tsukauchi didn’t like knowing an innocent child put himself in danger over and over again, but he admired Takato’s courage.

In a world where many sought to become heroes for fame, fortune, and/or glory, those who went into it for purely selfless reasons were few and far between.

If the boy chose to become a hero, Tsukauchi knew he’d excel.

That can only happen if this world doesn’t eat him alive first. Tsukauchi didn’t doubt that Takato had faced several dangers while in the Digital World, humans posed an entirely different type of danger. Takato never faced a true human enemy, and Tsukauchi was unsure how the boy would fare in such a situation.

His brow furrowed as he considered what could happen if the truth of Takato’s origin was revealed and everyone believed it.

There would be those excited about the chance to explore new worlds with their countless possibilities, but there would also be those who would want to exploit the worlds for their own gain.

People would take the threat of Daemon’s presence seriously, but the knowledge would also cause widespread panic.

Fear brought out the worst in people, and with Daemon nowhere to be found, Takato would be the more accessible target.

Tsukauchi couldn’t forget Takato’s words about people wanting to dissect him even when under Hypnos’ protection. His fate would be far worse in a world where virtually no one had his back.

It may be foolish to choose the life of one child over the countless lives at risk from Daemon, but it would be a decision Tsukauchi would have to live with. He would never forgive himself if he sacrificed the boy who had put all of his trust in him.

I’ll have to find Daemon without throwing Takato under the bus.

Tsukauchi knew it would be difficult, but he would find a way.

“You took a while in there,” Tamakawa said when Tsukauchi finally joined him in the car after leaving the hospital.

“Takato took a while to warm up to me,” Tsukauchi responded with a shrug as he slipped into the driver’s seat. “Thanks for keeping people from the room in the meantime.”

“It was no trouble.”

“How did things turn out with the doctor?” Tsukauchi asked as they drove out of the hospital towards the police station.

“Dr. Kurosaki was concerned that the boy hid information about his parents. Unlike with his nurse, Mr. Matsuki was more guarded when talking to the doctor. Dr. Kurosaki suspected that the boy knew his parents wouldn’t be found,” Tamakawa reported. “It gives credence to our suspicion about the boy’s parents abandoning him.”

“About that,” Tsukauchi interjected, recalling Takato’s distress. “After speaking with Takato, I don’t believe his parents abused or neglected him. He has nothing but good memories of them. He was distraught when I brought it up.”

“If they didn’t abandon him, where are they?” Tamakawa frowned.

“Takato’s memories are jumbled, likely a byproduct of both physical and mental trauma,” Tsukauchi began, stomach twisting in guilt as he began to weave a tale to explain the inconsistencies that came with Takato’s presence in their world. “I think Takato knows, on a subconscious level, what happened to his parents but that the memories are suppressed. The answers may lie with whoever tortured the boy in the first place.”

Tsukauchi’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as he thought of the wounds on Takato’s back, no doubt a result of Daemon’s cruelty.

Tamakawa straightened up, clueing into the change in Tsukauchi’s demeanor.

“Did Mr. Matsuki tell you anything?”

“Takato remembers a demon-like man attacking him. It may be conjecture on my part, but if this man attacked them, there is a high chance Takato’s parents are either missing or dead,” Tsukauchi grimaced, silently apologizing to Takato. The police would never find Takato’s parents. Not in this world. There had to be a logical reason as to why his parents weren’t around.

“There were no casualties in the apartment collapse and no reports of unidentified bodies found anywhere nearby,” Tamakawa said after a few moments of silence.

“I’m hoping that’s a good sign pointing to the former option versus the latter,” Tsukauchi responded.

“Either way, that leaves the boy without a guardian. Unless someone steps forward, he will likely end up in an orphanage.”

Tsukauchi thought of Takato’s expression when discussing his guardianship status. The boy was well aware of where he would end up and was far from thrilled about it. He wasn’t upset in the way most children would be when they found out they would be going to an orphanage. There was a desperation in Takato’s eyes which Tsukauchi believed had to do with his missing partner.

From the way Takato spoke of Guilmon, there was nothing the Tamer wouldn’t do for the sake of finding the Digimon, despite Tsukauchi warning him to be careful.

For that reason, Tsukauchi prayed Guilmon was found sooner than later.

Tsukauchi did not believe the orphanage would be the best place for Takato. Takato would have a hard time keeping his secret in such a setting, and given how trouble seemed to follow the boy, the orphanage wouldn’t be the safest place either.

Maybe a hero or police officer could take him in.

At least Takato would be safe, but his lies would be exposed as well.

The more Tsukauchi thought of the matter, the more he realized that there was one, logical solution and that would be to become Takato’s guardian himself.

Can I really take care of a child?

Tsukauchi never imagined that he would one day consider becoming a parent. He had always been dedicated to his job above all else. He didn’t know if he could provide the structured environment a child needed.

But then again, Takato was more mature and adaptable than children his own age, thanks to the experience he’d gained as a Digimon Tamer.

I’d have to talk to Makoto first. Takato too. He may not want me to be his guardian.

Tsukauchi sighed and shelved the thought for the time being. He didn’t want to make such an important decision while running on fumes.

“Did you get a name for the villain?”

“Takato called him Daemon.”

“Why would Daemon attack the Matsuki family to begin with?”

“I’m not sure, but I plan to find out,” Tsukauchi said, reluctant to divulge more information until he could sort out everything he learned and produce a plausible explanation.

“So all we know is that there is a villain involved in Takato’s case, who may or may not be involved with the fog bank incidents and whose appearance, motives, strength, and location are unclear.”

“Pretty much,” Tsukauchi muttered, exhaustion setting in as he thought of all of the work that would come with dealing with the threat appropriately. “The closest thing I have to a lead is the slums. If Takato was near the apartment, there’s a chance that Daemon would be around the slums.”

“We found nothing at the slum site.”

“Another look around won’t hurt. I was thinking of reaching out to Eraser Head and Edgeshot for assistance. They may be able to notice something we didn’t.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

“I promised Takato I would see him tomorrow. Hopefully, more of his memories will have returned to help fill in some of the blanks,” Tsukauchi said as they finally pulled into the police station. “We’ll go over more in the morning.”

“Let me know if you need any help,” Tamakawa said as they parted ways.

“I will,” Tsukauchi promised as he retreated to his office. He still had some things that required doing before he could go home for the night.

Takato tossed and turned in his bed, trying to sleep without success. After three days spent in a coma, followed by too many shocks in a short time, Takato was too wired to rest.

He kept replaying his conversation with Tsukauchi, debating if he’d made the right decision. His heart told him he had, but his mind still plagued him with doubt.

Tsukauchi could have pretended to believe him all while planning to send Takato to the psych ward.

Even if Tsukauchi believed him, the detective could still decide to tell everyone his secret, and then Takato would have more trouble than he knew what to do with.

Takato already experienced what it was like for everyone to know he was a Digimon Tamer.

Fame was not as great as people believed it to be.

At first, it was nice to be recognized for what he’d done, and it had certainly helped his parents attract business at the bakery, but then the attention became stifling.

His parents barely had time to work as they warded obsessive fans away from their son, and Takato could barely go anywhere without getting hounded. Takato didn’t even want to think about the stalkers, pedophiles, and anti-Digimon zealots he’d encountered.

Takato knew Yamaki regretted accidentally broadcasting the footage of the four Biomerged Tamers in all of their naked glory. To Yamaki’s credit, he had never expected that the D-Reaper’s sight would expose the truth about the Biomerged Digimon that not even he knew.

Takato disappeared into the Digital World before he got the chance to see if the excitement over the world saviors had died down or not.

The Tamer was under no delusion that he would experience the same type of attention here. Reactions could range from complete indifference to fear or anger. There was no way for Takato to know. He had yet to experience the world fully.

Detective Tsukauchi told me to avoid sharing my secret with anyone else. I don’t think he would go off and do what he told me not to...

Pushing that worry to the side, Takato moved to the next.

He would like to believe Tsukauchi when he said that the heroes would stand up against Daemon, but Takato had his doubts.

Humans may have superpowers in this world, but nobody could fully comprehend the strength of a Mega-level Digimon until they saw one.

Tsukauchi advised Takato that he wouldn’t be allowed to fight Daemon as long as he didn’t have a hero license, but if it came between following the law and saving lives, Takato knew what choice he’d make.

Of course, that decision wouldn’t matter if Takato never found Guilmon.

The Tamer glanced at his D-Arc, thinking of how it always pointed at him. Then he eyed the Zero units on his hands. The markings weren’t foreign to him. He saw them every time he was Gallantmon.

Takato closed his eyes and concentrated on his partner, calling out to him mentally, but he received no answer.

So much for that idea. Takato sank back into his bed, frowning. Where are you, Guilmon?

Takato’s thoughts eventually strayed to the Royal Knights, who likely didn’t know he was still alive. Digimon left no trace behind when they died, after all.

The Royal Knights had already lost the original Gallantmon — Takato’s predecessor — to the Demon Lords years before.

The tenuous balance between the Royal Knights and Demon Lords nearly broke then, only returned once the Royal Knights avenged the loss by deleting Gallantmon’s killer, Beelzemon.

History nearly repeated itself. Takato recalled his fight against Beelzemon that fateful day outside of Zuqaiomon’s lair. He wasn’t sure if the Beelzemon he knew was the same as the one who used to belong to the Demon Lords, but in the end, it didn’t matter. The Beelzemon Takato knew wasn’t the monster that killed a Royal Knight. He may have made some mistakes, but he did whatever was in his power to make up for it. Even if he once were the same Beelzemon who allied with the other Demon Lords, he never would again. Of that, Takato was certain.

It took the D-Reaper decimating the Digital World to finally restore the truce between the Royal Knights and Demon Lords. They had bigger things to worry about.

When the Royal Knights found Takato and Guilmon, worn from days of constant battle and little shelter, Alphamon and Omnimon didn’t hesitate to take them in.

Takato and Guilmon were never more grateful for shelter than they had been at that time. For once, they weren’t in constant danger.

After the Tamer-Digimon duo got enough rest, Alphamon and Omnimon approached them with a surprising offer to join the Royal Knights.

At first, the other Royal Knights were wary of them, unwilling to accept Takato and Guilmon within their ranks, so they tested the duo repeatedly.

Takato and Guilmon met every challenge head-on, and over time, the other Royal Knights warmed up to them. Most of them, anyway.

Dynasmon and Crusadermon never stopped protesting his appointment as a Royal Knight. They didn’t trust a Hazard Digimon.

Magnamon, who became like an older brother to Takato and Guilmon, advised them not to worry about the two oftentimes partnered Knights. He insisted they were always difficult.

Crusadermon and Dynasmon are probably telling ‘I told you so’ to the rest of the Royal Knights right now.

Alphamon had advised Takato not to engage in battle against the Demon Lords unless necessary. Takato had every intention of obeying that order, but things hadn’t gone as planned.

Now the other Royal Knights would have to clean up his mess, and there was nothing Takato could do to help.

There was only one thing he could do.

Make sure Daemon could never threaten anyone ever again.

Chapter Text

After barely eating anything the day before, Takato thought he would be starving the next day, but even with food in front of him, he couldn’t bring himself to eat more than a few bites of his breakfast.

Before his year-long venture in the Digital World, Takato had a healthy appetite but now…

Maybe something is wrong with me…

He shook his head. It was most likely just the stress that was killing his appetite.

Sleep had been hard to come by as spotty memories started to return.

He shuddered as he remembered crushing a Devimon’s skull with one armored hand, utilizing brutality he had never had in battle before. The small memory had been tainted by one powerful emotion: Rage.

Takato strained his mind, trying to remember what had led to him feeling that way, but he drew a blank.

The last time he’d felt that emotion so strongly, Megidramon had come into existence.

Did that happen this time too?

Takato pushed his food away, his already poor appetite disappearing altogether.

Forcing Guilmon to turn into Megidramon after Leomon’s death would always remain Takato’s biggest regret, even if the incident had given way to the birth of Gallantmon. Takato had never been more scared in his life, and he knew his friends, who had been no more than helpless observers in the background, felt the same.

Although no one, save for the grieving Jeri, had blamed him for his loss of control, he knew they had looked at him differently afterward, as if he was a ticking time bomb. He couldn’t blame them when he felt the same way.

The memory could have only come during the time he had faced off against Daemon. If he had really lost his temper again and activated the Digital Hazard, that could explain how he ended up crossing over into this new world.

Megidramon nearly destroyed the Digital World and his Real World simply by existing. Tearing a hole in the Firewall between worlds wouldn’t be impossible if he came into the picture.

But I can’t remember Megidramon this time…

The one brutally attacking the evil Digimon had been Gallantmon.

I thought the Digital Hazard would be easier to control in that form…

Takato was quick to realize the error in that train of thought.

Despite Gallantmon being one of the Royal Knights, the Digital Hazard remained a bold symbol on his person, warning those around him that despite his virtuous nature, all it took were the right circumstances for him to turn into something far more dangerous.

Dynasmon and Crusadermon never let him forget that fact.

What happened that pissed me off so badly as to let it free?

As hard as Takato tried, he couldn’t remember, and that frustrated him even more.

If the Digital Hazard was the culprit behind his arrival, he was to blame for everyone who got injured.

Takato was glad that he was alone at the moment as he didn’t want anyone to see how he felt as his guilt began to build. He started trembling and curled up into a fetal position.

Where are you, Guilmon?

His partner always knew the right thing to say to clear his mind.

So caught up in his panicked thoughts, he didn’t realize someone had entered the room until a soft voice called his name.

Startling, he jerked back into a seated position, wild eyes scanning the room before they locked onto Tsukauchi, who stood at the entrance of his room with a concerned look on his face.

“What happened?” The detective slowly approached his bedside, making sure to move slowly as not to frighten the hypervigilant child.

Takato wanted to spill all of his thoughts out to the detective, but he held back, afraid of what he would think if he learned the truth about Takato.

If Tsukauchi thought that Takato was too dangerous, what would he do? Would he still help Takato, or would he turn him over to the authorities?

“Can I touch you?” Tsukauchi asked softly.

Peeking through a fringe of sweat-soaked bangs, Takato slowly nodded, and Tsukauchi clasped a hand on his shoulder, squeezing it in comfort.

“Whatever is bothering you, you can tell me. I promise I’ll listen.”

Takato bit his lip, conflicted.

“You may not like what you hear,” he whispered.

Tsukauchi didn’t look deterred.

“Why don’t you leave it to me to decide how I feel about it?”

Takato stayed silent for a while before finally speaking up.

“I think I’m the one who broke the barrier between worlds.”

“What makes you think that?”

“I remembered something that happened during the fight with Daemon,” Takato admitted. “I remembered getting really angry for some reason, but I don’t know why.”

“Okay,” Tsukauchi replied, eyes clouding with confusion as he tried to understand what the boy was trying to say. “How does that lead to you believing you opened the path to our world?”

“I didn’t tell you everything that happened during our first trip to the Digital World,” Takato said, fiddling with his blanket, afraid to meet the detective’s eyes.

“I imagine it would have been difficult to share every detail about what happened during that time, but why don’t you tell me why you avoided sharing this detail if you consider it so important?”

“I was scared….”

“Scared about what?”

Takato continued to chew on his lip, daring to peek at Tsukauchi, who patiently sat next to him, a comforting smile on his face.

“I was scared… that you would think I’m a monster.”

“Why would I think that?”

“When we were in the Digital World, we found that a Digimon we had thought of as a friend, Impmon, had betrayed us to gain the power to digivolve into his Mega form, Beelzemon. At this time, none of our Digimon had been able to digivolve to Mega yet. We were helpless to stop us, and we could do nothing as he murdered one of our friends, Leomon, right in front of us. I… I lost it. I made Guilmon attack him, and when he started to lose, I forced him to digivolve to Mega for the first time. But that’s when everything went wrong.”

“He turned into Gallantmon?” Tsukauchi asked for clarification. “How did things go wrong?”

“It wasn’t Gallantmon he turned into,” Takato said, remembering he had never told Tsukauchi about Biomerge digivolution. He didn’t think the detective, who was already so bothered by a child getting involved in danger, would react well to knowing that he had a more direct role in Digimon battles than he thought. “Guilmon Dark Digivolved to Megidramon. His existence was enough to destabilize not only the Digital World but the Real World. My anger turned Guilmon into a monster and nearly destroyed the world in the process.”

Now it was Tsukauchi’s turn to be silent, and Takato avoided his gaze, wondering if he’d made a mistake.

Tsukauchi stared at the terrified boy in front of him, taking the time to process everything Takato had told him before responding. It was clear Takato expected to be vilified for what happened in his past.

The knowledge that there was a creature that could destroy the world without even meaning to was terrifying, but the fact that the worlds were still intact despite all of that proved that it hadn’t happened, nor had it been intentional.

“How did the destruction stop?” He finally asked.

“Beelzemon managed to defeat him after absorbing a lot of data to gain strength. When Megidramon fell unconscious, the Digital Hazard’s influence over the world faded.”

Tsukauchi couldn’t help wonder how they managed to defeat Beelzemon if Megidramon failed but figured that would be a question for later. There were more important things at the moment.

“Did you know that Guilmon would turn into Megidramon before he did?”

Takato shook his head vehemently.

“If I had known, I would have never let it happen.”

“Did Guilmon blame you for turning him into Megidramon?”

“N-no,” Takato admitted, wiping at the tears that were pooling in his eyes. “But my D-Arc was destroyed when I forced him to digivolve. I thought I’d destroyed our bond.”

Tsukauchi eyes the D-Arc on Takato’s bedside table.

“Clearly, that wasn’t permanent.”

A weak smile appeared on Takato’s face as he shook his head.

“The new digivice appeared after Guilmon digivolved into Gallantmon for the first time. That’s how we were able to defeat Beelzemon.”

“So something good came from the ordeal after all.”

“I guess so,” Takato conceded. “That doesn’t change the fact that I’m dangerous.”

“It doesn’t,” Tsukauchi agreed, clarifying his point when Takato flinched. “But it also doesn’t change the fact that Megidramon’s birth was an accident. Grief and anger can do a lot to any person, much less a child. You wanted to avenge your friend, not destroy the world. There are countless quirks out there that are dangerous if misused, but that doesn’t in itself make the person with the quirk dangerous. It’s how the quirk is used, and countless people with such quirks have chosen to use them for the sake of good. All it takes is control, and I’m sure that is something you can learn as you grow.”

Takato gaped at Tsukauchi, stunned by the detective’s response.

“You’re… you’re not scared?” He asked.

While Tsukauchi certainly was unsettled to know of a monster capable of destroying worlds, he couldn’t displace that fear onto Takato. The boy hadn’t asked to possess such a dangerous ability.

“Getting angry is a very human reaction. It just so happens that your anger produces disastrous results. We’ll just have to see what we can do to help you keep yours under control. I’m more convinced than ever that Hero training may be the best course of action for you.”

“T-thank you,” Takato whispered, lips wobbling as he fought the urge to cry.

“Don’t mention it.” Tsukauchi ruffled Takato’s hair. “So, you’re afraid that Megidramon may have come into the picture?”

“Maybe, but I’m not sure,” Takato said. “But it would make sense for the Digital Hazard to have broken the Firewall when nothing else worked.”

“It may be a possibility, but it’s not certain that it was the cause,” Tsukauchi replied. “Let me know if any further memories come back.”

“I will,” Takato said. “If the Digital Hazard did cause the breach, then I’m at fault for everyone who got hurt when the Digital Fields formed.”

“Don’t think about it like that,” Tsukauchi said. “It will eat at you if you let such thoughts consume you. You couldn’t have controlled where the Fields formed or what happened as a result of them. Situations like this happen on the regular in this world, thanks to villain attacks. We are more than well-equipped to handle things like this.”

Takato didn’t look convinced but didn’t argue against Tsukauchi.

“You came to see me earlier than I expected,” he finally said.

“I did a lot of thinking last night over your situation,” Tsukauchi admitted. “I figured it would be best for us to be on the same page about what to share before the story gets out of hand.”

Takato perked up, sitting back and staring at Tsukauchi with clear interest.

“Sounds like a good idea. What have you got so far?”

Now that he had Takato’s full attention, the detective proceeded to fill the boy in on the story he’d given Tamakawa.

“Will that really work?” Takato wondered.

“It should. At least this way, I can justify the search for him without drawing too much suspicion as to why. We can say that either Daemon or your parents erased your records.”

“Daemon would be the better choice,” Takato responded. “He’s a Digimon, which means he influences anything digital. We may not end able to explain what he is, but there is no denying he poses a threat to Network security, and you should warn others about that particular fact.”

“That’s good to know,” Tsukauchi responded. “I’ll be sure to bring that up. Now we just have to figure out why Daemon would go after you and your family in the first place, how you got away and how it links up with the Fog Bank incidents. But don’t worry about coming up with that right now. You won’t be making your full statement until after you are discharged from the hospital.”

“Okay. But what if people at the orphanage press me on the matter? I can keep up the ruse for a little bit, but I don’t think I could all of the time,” Takato admitted.

“About that…” Tsukauchi removed his hat and ran a hand through his hair. “I wanted to talk with you about that.”

“What is it?”

“What would you think if I became your guardian?” Tsukauchi tried not to belay his nerves. While he had his doubts about his ability to be a suitable parent, he wanted to protect Takato from the potential dangers that would come his way if the truth about him came out.

When he looked at Takato, he found the boy gawking at him.

“You… you want to become my guardian? Even after everything you’ve heard?”

Tsukauchi nodded.

“If anything, what you told me has strengthened my resolve on that front.”

Takato stared at the detective for a few moments, as if checking his sincerity, before he finally gave his answer.

“I would like that…” he admitted. “But can you really become my guardian?”

“I’ll do whatever is required of me to make it possible if that’s what you really want,” the detective promised.

“It is what I want,” Takato confirmed. “It’s better than what I was thinking about.” The boy clicked his mouth shut and looked away, guilty as if he had said too much.

“What were you thinking about?” Tsukauchi asked, catching onto the boy’s reticence.

“Nothing.”

“Takato.” Tsukauchi’s voice turned stern. “You know I can tell when you’re lying. What were you thinking about?”

Takato flinched and slowly returned his gaze to the detective.

“I was going to run away.”

After everything Tsukauchi knew about the boy, he should have predicted Takato’s thought process. The Tamer was used to solving all of his problems by himself, regardless of what adults advised. He wouldn’t trust a stranger to care for him. Nevertheless, Tsukauchi couldn’t help but be upset over the boy’s reckless ideas.

“Do you have any idea how dangerous that would be?”

Takato ducked his head down.

“I survived two months on my own in the Digital World before the Royal Knights took us in. I could manage here.”

“Guilmon was with you in the Digital World. He’s not with you now. Although humans may not pose as much a threat as Digimon, that doesn’t make them safe either. You have no idea what kind of dangers you would face on the streets!”

“I’m sorry… I was wrong,” Takato muttered, shrinking into himself in the face of Tsukauchi’s displeasure.

Tsukauchi took a deep breath, reigning in the instant panic that had come when hearing of what could have happened with Takato if he made that decision.

“I just want you to be careful. There’s so much you have yet to learn about this world,” Tsukauchi said. “That’s another reason I came in this morning.”

He pulled a book out of the bag he’d brought with him when he came to see Takato and handed the book to the boy.

“This book has a good summary of quirk history. It will hopefully help you understand the current society better.”

Takato flipped through the pages casually, noting that at least the book seemed easy to read. At least now, he wouldn’t be flying blind.

“Thanks. I was getting kind of bored.”

Tsukauchi chuckled.

“I can imagine. Being stuck in a hospital is never fun. What kind of things do you like doing? I can bring you something to help you pass the time.”

“You don’t have to go through any trouble,” Takato protested before looking down shyly. “I like drawing.”

“Do you really?” Tsukauchi smiled.

“I’m not that good, but I’m hoping I will be. One day.” Takato flushed.

“I’m sure you will be. I’ll see what I can do for you,” Tsukauchi promised. “Maybe you can even draw a picture of Daemon for us. It may help with getting information out there about him.”

“I can try.”

“That’s all I can ask of you,” Tsukauchi said. “Now, I’ll be back later. There’s a lot that will have to be done if we have any hope of me becoming your guardian.”

Takato looked sad to see him go but bade him farewell with a small smile.

Takato normally wasn’t the biggest fan of reading, but he couldn’t help be interested in quirks. The thought of 80% of the human population having superpowers was beyond anything he could have possibly dreamed of.

If quirks existed in our world, I wonder how things would have gone when the Devas and D-Reaper attacked.

Takato fantasized about what type of quirk he and his friends would have ended up with.

I could see Rika being a telepath and Henry being a technopath.

He giggled as he imagined the different quirks his friends could have had before sighing. He missed them. He had been gone for as long as he had actually known them, but they were hard to forget after everything they had gone through and hard to replace.

Takato prayed that the other Tamers were doing well in his absence. There shouldn’t have been any Digimon attacks with the Firewall in place, hopefully granting them some much-needed peace.

Is the Firewall still in place, or was it destroyed when the Hazard activated?

Takato huffed and put the book down; his concentration shot as question after question came to mind. He had to stop thinking about things that weren’t in his control. It was making him an anxious mess.

Can I really sit back here doing nothing?

If he weren’t stuck in a hospital, he would be busy searching for Daemon or a portal back to the Digital World. The lingering effects from the recent Bio-emergence would only last so long if they hadn’t faded away already. It was now four days after he had arrived in this world, and there was a good chance the portal was gone.

Even if it wasn’t, he couldn’t leave until he knew Daemon wasn’t in this world. He would never forgive himself if innocent people suffered due to his mistake.

As long as Takato was stuck in the hospital, there was nothing he could do. He considered running away but dismissed the thought a second later. He promised Tsukauchi that he wouldn’t do that.

Takato collapsed against his bed with a frustrated huff, wincing as the jarring movement irritated his back.

He had forgotten all about the scars. They may be healed, but they still ached now and then.

How’d I get these scars to begin with?

As if on cue, a memory he would rather keep forgotten flashed through his mind, causing Takato to seize up with a silent cry.

Try as he might, Takato couldn’t shake the memory of clawed hands tearing his wings from his body, one by one, from his mind. Nor could he forget the cruel laughter and agonized screams that accompanied the act.

All this time, Takato thought that Gallantmon Crimson Mode managed to get the upper hand against Daemon, but this memory proved that theory wrong.

Even at his strongest, Gallantmon failed to defeat Daemon. Takato had known the Demon Lord was powerful, but to know he hadn’t even stood a chance…

Whatever hope Takato had of defeating Daemon if they ever crossed paths again was immediately dashed.

It’s pointless. I can’t beat him. I’m not strong enough.

But you are, Takatomon.

Chapter Text

Takato was suspended in a familiar golden data sphere in a flash of light, surrounded by darkness.

A white ball floated into his field of vision before turning into Jyarimon, Guilmon’s Baby form.

Takato could only gape at him.

“H-how.”

“I never left you, Takato. I’ve been here the entire time.”

“W-why didn’t you say anything?”

Jyarimon’s ears drooped. “I could hear you call for me, but I couldn’t wake up. I’m still so tired, but you needed me.”

Takato’s eyes brimmed with tears, his partner’s presence a balm for the built-up tension he’d experienced.

“Thank you.”

“I’ll always be here. No matter what. There’s nothing in any of the worlds that could keep us apart.” Jyarimon smiled.

“We’re still fused, aren’t we?” Takato realized.

Jyarimon nodded.

“If we’re still Biomerged, why am I still Takato?”

“I don’t know. Maybe something happened when we came to this world,” Jyarimon suggested.

“Maybe. My senses have been a lot sharper than normal. Does that mean you’re inside of me instead of the other way around?”

“I think so.”

Takato wondered why he didn’t have Gallantmon’s strength or abilities, but then he laid eyes on his worn partner.

Guilmon would eventually regain his strength. Takato wondered what would happen once the Digimon regained his Rookie form.

With no previous experience to work off of, the Tamer had no other choice but to wait and see.

“Don’t worry about Daemon. We’ll find him and beat him,” Jyarimon promised.

Takato shivered as he thought of the Demon Lord.

“How? He’s too strong. All he did was toy with us from start to finish. He could have killed us whenever he wanted to.”

“But he didn’t. No, he couldn’t,” Jyarimon corrected. “We’ll get stronger, Takato. If he attacks again, we’ll be ready for him.”

Takato always admired Guilmon’s effortless confidence. The Digimon made it easy for Takato to push away his self-doubts.

“Thanks. You always know what to say.”

“Any time, Takato,” Jyarimon said, eyes blinking rapidly. “Can I go back to sleep now?”

“Go ahead. I’ll be waiting for you when you wake up.”

Jyarimon gave his partner one last smile before fading away.

Takato was able to make it through the second day of his hospitalization with a better outlook, secure in the fact that Guilmon was safe and that he wasn’t alone.

Even if Tsukauchi wasn’t approved to be his guardian, Takato knew his chances of survival on the streets would be better with Guilmon by his side.

If he ever figured out how to get Guilmon out of his body. Takato had tried to use Gallantmon’s abilities without success. He just ended up feeling like an idiot.

His next thought was to attempt using modify cards and see if that worked, but he decided to wait until he was discharged. If it worked and someone caught him in the act, he’d have a lot of explaining to do.

Fortunately, as Takato was discharged the next day, he was pleased to find out Tsukauchi had tentatively been accepted as his new guardian.

At least something’s going right, he thought as Tsukuachi escorted him out of the hospital.

“Glad to be out of the hospital?” Tsukauchi asked.

“You have no idea,’ Takato replied, eyes fixated on the sky. It had been a long time since he’d seen the view. It was weird not to see the Real World hovering over him anymore.

“You’ll go blind if you keep staring,” Tsukauchi admonished.

“Sorry. It’s been a long time since I last saw a sunset.” Takato climbed into Tsukauchi’s car.

“There aren’t any in the Digital World?”

“No. The change from day to night is so fast it’s like a flip switched.”

“The more you tell me about the Digital World, the more curious I become,” Tsukauchi remarked.

“It’s an amazing and horrible place,” Takato said, eyes misting over. “So much wonder and so much danger. We were so excited the first time we went there. It didn’t take long for harsh reality to kick in. Only the strong survive.”

“And you survived a year.”

“I had help.” Takato greedily took in the scenery as Tsukauchi drove. The city was so similar and yet different from the one he knew.

Guilmon could probably walk around here without anyone giving a second look.

“You mentioned the Royal Knights before. Were they the ones who helped you?”

Takato nodded.

“They’re a group of Holy Knight Digimon seen as guardians of the Digital World. They’re in charge of Network Security.”

“So, they’re kind of like the heroes of the Digital World,” Tsukauchi surmised.

“I guess so. There are thirteen of us.”

“Us?” Tsukauchi frowned and turned to Takato, who stiffened before giving the detective a sheepish grin.

“Gallantmon is one of the Royal Knights. There was another Gallantmon before Guilmon, but he died years ago. When they took us in, they offered Guilmon the position.”

“Just like that?”

“It took a while, and a lot of tests before everyone was on board with the idea. Even then, we spent most of our time training and shadowing other Knights to understand the responsibilities that come with the position,” Takato said, used to Tsukauchi’s worries over the danger he got into. The man was surprisingly overprotective.

“Like an internship,” Tsukauchi realized.

“You can say that,” Takato agreed. “It took them forever to let us go on a solo patrol, which, as you can see, didn’t go well. If I ever manage to go back, I don’t think the Royal Knights will ever let me go anywhere alone again.”

“That’s when you encountered Daemon?”

Takato nodded, turning back to the detective once he had his fill of sightseeing.

“Has there been any sign of Daemon?”

“Eraser Head and Edgeshot, two heroes, are assisting us in the search, but aside from a few rumors that still have to be investigated, there haven’t been any physical signs of his presence.”

Takato sighed. It would figure that Daemon would be hard to find.

“Guilmon could probably sniff him out,” Takato mused. “If his scent trail hasn’t gone cold already.”

“Given how many people have traipsed around the area, I wouldn’t be surprised. Too bad Guilmon isn’t here.”

“But he is.” Takato perked up, realizing he hadn’t shared the news with the detective yet since this had been the first time he saw Tsukauchi since.

“What do you mean?” Tsukauchi turned to Takato with a puzzled frown.

“My D-Arc wasn’t lying. Guilmon’s been here the entire time.”

“Where is he?”

“Inside of me.”

Tsukauchi nearly lost control of the car due to his surprise.

“Say that again.” The detective seemed to have a hard time comprehending Takato’s words even after the boy repeated them. “How?”

“Something must have gone wrong when we Bio-emerged into this world.”

“How do you know he’s inside of you?”

“Guilmon spoke to me. I freaked out over a returned bad memory, and he helped calm me down before he went back to sleep.”

Tsukauchi remained silent for a few moments, considering the implications of the new development. Takato was sure the detective would go straight to asking for more information and was surprised and touched by the next question.

“How is he?”

“Guilmon reverted to his weakest form, Jyarimon. The fight against Daemon took a toll on him, but he’ll recover.”

“I’m glad he’s with you. How does his presence affect you?”

“I don’t know,” Takato admitted. “I planned to try using a modify card, but I didn’t want to do it in the hospital.”

“Modify cards… you use them to give your partner certain power-ups, right?”

“You remembered.” Takato grinned, glad Tsukauchi kept up with him. “There are several types. They can increase strength, speed, defense, and stamina. Other cards allow Guilmon to use abilities that belong to other Digimon of varying levels. I have a couple of Mega level cards in the mix.”

Tsukauchi stiffened as he heard of the Mega level cards, not wanting to imagine the destruction that could come from using them.

“You may want to refrain from using the more powerful cards. Who knows how they could affect you?”

“You’re probably right,” Takato agreed. “Not even the Digimon can fully handle some of the cards unless they are at higher levels themselves.”

Tsukauchi sighed in relief.

“We can test out your theory at home later, ideally when my sister, Makoto, isn’t around.”

“I didn’t know you have a sister.”

“You never asked. She helped a lot with preparing our home for you while I’ve been at work. She’s excited to meet you.”

“It must be nice to have a sibling. I’m an only child, but one of my best friends has a younger sister. She makes him worry a lot.” Takato shook his head as he thought of Henry’s sister, Suzie. She had a lot of personality.

“Little sisters tend to do that. Between the two of us, we’ll make sure you have whatever you need.’

“I’ll try not to trouble you.”

Tsukauchi didn’t have to take Takato in. The Tamer would never forget his kindness.

“That’s the last thing you need to worry about,” Tsukauchi replied, ruffling Takato’s hair and grinning as the boy protested.

A loud noise startled Takato the moment he entered Tsukauchi’s flat, and he instantly stepped back and held his left arm in front of him as if he had been about to summon his shield, Aegis.

When that didn't happen, and he noticed all of the confetti covering his front, Takato blushed in embarrassment.

“Makoto!” Tsukauchi scolded his sister, who looked sheepish. He turned to Takato and brushed the confetti off of him. “Are you okay?”

“Yeah. I'm just jumpy.”

“Sorry, ” Makoto ducked her head down. “I wanted to help you feel welcome, but I didn't mean to scare you.”

Takato glanced at the room filled with balloons and a large WELCOME HOME sign, smiling despite the adrenaline still flowing through him.

“You meant well, ” he consoled her, appreciating her efforts.

“My brother was right. You are a sweetheart, ” she exclaimed before hugging him.

“I didn't say it like that.” Tsukauchi coughed into his hand with a faint blush, making no move to rescue Takato from the impromptu hug, not that he needed it.

Takato was struck dumb yet again by the outpouring of affection, but in all of his time in the Digital World, he hadn't realized how much he’d missed such a simple gesture.

Hesitantly, he wrapped his trembling arms around her before reluctantly pulling away.

Tsukauchi warned him about Makoto’s quirk. If she tried to ask him any questions while still touching, she would know if he lied. That would open up a can of worms he didn’t want to deal with.

“We got you something,” Makoto said, eyes brightening as she remembered something. She scurried away before returning moments later with a bag. She pulled out a couple of sketch pads, a pack of colored pencils, and a phone. “Naomasa told me that you like to draw. I'm hoping these will come in handy for you. As for the phone, we already plugged in our numbers and a couple of other contacts for emergency purposes.”

“Thank you,” Takato replied, marveling over the new gifts.

“I’ll show you how to use your phone later,” Tsukauchi promised, remembering that Takato didn’t have much experience with smartphones. “Would you like a tour?”

“I’d like that.”

The adults led him further into the flat, showing him the living room, kitchen, their rooms (with encouragement for him to come to them if he ever needed anything) before finally bringing him to what would be his room.

The room was mostly empty save for a desk, an air mattress already outfitted with sheets, an All Might poster on one wall, and a window with a nice view of the Tokyo skyline.

“It’s not much yet, but I figured that you might like to choose what kind of things you’d want in your room to make it your own. Naomasa wanted to bring you to the police station tomorrow to get your official statement about the Fog Bank incident. Still, I figured I could take you shopping for anything you need the day after. Would that work?” Makoto asked, wringing her hands together nervously as Takato scanned the room.

Takato swallowed against a lump in his throat as he tried to come to terms with the various emotions coursing through him.

He thought he’d gotten over the fact that he wasn’t home and in a completely different world, but his homesickness still hit him hard.

The Tsukauchi siblings were doing their best to ease his transition, but he couldn’t get out the words to express his gratitude. He was afraid if he opened his mouth, he would start to cry. The only thing he could do was nod in response to Makoto’s question.

Tsukauchi and Makoto caught onto his mood quickly.

“Take some time to rest and get acclimated. We have toiletries and a few pairs of clothes for you. We’ll get more when we go shopping.”

Takato gave them a wobbly smile and finally had time alone to gather his bearings.

He placed the sketch pads and colored pencils on the desk, flipping through the blank pages and imagining what he would fill them with. The first drawing would be Daemon since he’d promised to try to give an accurate depiction of the monster, but he wanted to draw his family and friends more. He was terrified to forget any more details about them.

Takato’s memories of his parents and friends were all he had left of them. He couldn’t lose them too.

Digimon paraphernalia had filled his room in the bakery. Here, his drawings would have to make up for what he’d lost.

Takato was about to drop his D-Arc and card deck on the desk before pausing as he remembered that he wanted to see what would happen if he used a modify card.

Since I’m technically part-Digimon right now, it should work.

Takato prayed that it would. He needed at least one way to go against Daemon if he couldn’t use Guilmon’s abilities.

After a quick review of his cards, Takato chose his favored Hyper Wings card. It would have the most notable effect.

Here goes nothing.

Takato swiped the card through his D-Arc and watched the LED screen glow for a few moments before the light faded.

At first, nothing happened, and Takato deflated in disappointment, but then he yelped as his back started to itch. Seconds later, three sets of glowing white wings shrug from his back, fortunately phasing through his clothes instead of tearing through them.

“Takato, are you—” Tsukauchi began as he entered the room before he froze, gawking at the sight of the now winged child. It didn’t take him long to enter the room and close it before Makoto could catch sight of the newest development. The detective opened and closed his mouth a few times before finally asking what he wanted to. “What is this?”

“The modify card worked!” Takato grinned at Tsukauchi, stretching his wings out and flapped them a few times, creating a gentle breeze. He tossed the Hyper Wings card to Tsukauchi to help explain the situation further.

“Are the effects permanent?” Tsukauchi asked once he overcame his shock.

“It shouldn’t be. Modify cards only bring temporary changes.”

Lo and behold, the wings faded away within the next couple of minutes. Takato didn’t know if he should feel disappointed or relieved. Wings would have been hard to explain, but Takato liked flying.

“How do you feel?” Tsukauchi asked.

“A little more tired than before but otherwise, not bad,” Takato said after considering the question for a moment. “I guess using the cards like this would have a cost. I wonder if it would be different if Guilmon were awake.”

“I suppose we’ll have to wait and see,” Tsukauchi replied, sobering as he considered the new development.

“If you are capable of using modify cards like this, I don’t think you can be considered quirkless anymore.”

“But it’s not a quirk,” Takato pointed out. “At least, I don’t think so.”

“Regardless of the nature of your abilities, our superhuman society has only managed to survive this long due to strict regulations in regards to quirk usage. All quirks must be registered, and only those with the appropriate license to use them are allowed to use them regularly.”

“This world has a lot of rules….” Takato wrinkled his nose.

“I know it’s hard to understand everything right now, Takato, but I promise you, it’ll get easier.”

“I hope so,” Takato responded. “How would you describe my ‘quirk?’”

Tsukauchi frowned as he contemplated the question.

“Let’s wait to classify your quirk until after Guilmon awakens. We still don’t know how that’s going to affect you.”

“Good point.”

There was a knock on the door before Makoto peeked inside.

“Are you two ready for dinner?”

“Do you think you’ll manage to eat more than half of your plate this time?” Tsukauchi asked Takato as they walked out of his bedroom. “Dr. Kurosaki and Ms. Nakamura were concerned over how little you ate while you were in the hospital.”

“I’ll try.” Takato shrugged. His body no longer reveled against food as intensely as before, which he was grateful for. He needed to get his strength back. Since he and Guilmon were fused, every effort he put into self-care would benefit his partner.

Now that I’m out of the hospital, I could probably resume the training regimen Gankoomon designed for me.

Once Takato had won Gankoomon over, the older Royal Knight took it upon himself to train Takato and Guilmon. He insisted that Takato couldn’t always depend on Gallantmon’s strength. If the fusion dissolved mid-battle by any chance, Takato’s ability to defend himself could make the difference between life or death.

Takato hated the first couple of months of training as someone who hadn't been athletically inclined, but he gradually acclimated to it and even learned to enjoy it. Every bit of experience he gained benefitted both him and Guilmon.

He may no longer be in the Digital World, but Takato didn’t want to forget everything he learned.

The Royal Knights poured too much of their time and effort into preparing him to join their ranks for him to let it all go now.

I’ll make you proud.

Chapter Text

Multiple eyes fell on Takato when he and Tsukauchi entered the police station the next morning, and he instinctively stepped closer to the detective.

“Why are they all staring at me?” He asked.

“It has more to do with me than you,” Tsukauchi responded, clapping a hand on his shoulder. “Nobody expected me to foster a child. Everyone has been pretty curious from the moment I announced my intention to take you in.”

“Really?” Takato glanced around at all of the curious faces and gave a shy wave in their direction. The returned smiles helped soothe his nerves about giving his official statement—at least a little.

“You must be Matsuki Takato,” a man with black hair that was starting to recede and a thin beard remarked as he approached the duo. He held out a hand to Takato. “I’m Tanuma Eizo, another detective with the Police Force. I’ll be taking over the case of the Fog Bank incidents now.”

“You’re no longer the detective in charge of the case?” Takato asked Tsukauchi, confused.

“I had to hand it over when I made my formal request to be your guardian,” Tsukauchi admitted. “It would have been considered a conflict of interest, otherwise. Don’t worry, though. You’re in good hands.”

“If you say so.” While Takato was a little unsettled, he trusted Tsukauchi wouldn’t have made a move without being sure it was the right one.

“Are you ready to give your statement, Mr. Matsuki?” Tanuma asked, and the boy nodded, looking to Tsukauchi for reassurance as Tanuma led them further into the police station.

Tanuma led them to a private room, choosing to sit across from Takato and Tsukauchi.

After going through a few identifying questions, Tanuma finally got to the point.

“Detective Tsukauchi filled us in about the limited memories you have of the past year, but I’d like to hear more from you about what you remember. Could you tell me what you remember about the day the Fog Banks appeared?”

“Honestly, not much. I hadn’t even realized I’d been in an accident until my nurse told me at the hospital when I woke three days afterward.”

“What do you remember?”

Takato was silent for a few moments, debating on what he was willing to divulge at the moment. He could insist he didn’t remember anything out of the ordinary, but then he wouldn’t have a way to introduce the threat of Daemon easily.

“I remember the fear, pain, and fog,” he eventually said, shuddering as he thought of the torture he’d experienced at Daemon’s hands. Tsukauchi squeezed his shoulder to comfort him.

“Do you remember the source?”

“There was a man, no a monster….” Takato began. “He had red eyes, fangs, and claws.”

“Does this monster have a name?”

“Daemon.”

“Do you have any idea what Daemon wanted with you?”

Takato shook his head. Even though Royal Knights and Demon Lords were natural enemies, Takato still didn’t know why Daemon chose to destroy the truce between them now.

Did he see me as an easy kill?

Tsukauchi nudged him, and Takato blushed as he realized he’d spaced out.

“Got lost for a moment, Mr. Matsuki?”

“Yeah… sorry. I was trying to remember.”

“Don’t push yourself too hard. Are you ready to continue?” Tanuma asked, and Takato nodded. “Do you have any recollection of how you got away from Daemon?”

“I remember getting angry. Really angry. The memory’s foggy, but I remember Daemon hurting someone in front of me… I think it may have been my parents,” Takato said, voice becoming shakier as he spoke. While Daemon hadn’t hurt his parents, Takato finally remembered what had set his rage off. Gallantmon, broken and bleeding, was forced to watch as Daemon’s army slaughtered the innocent Digimon that had originally sought Gallantmon’s protection. His helplessness, guilt, and horror unleashed the Digital Hazard and tipped the scale in Gallantmon’s favor.

“I-I can’t remember all of the details, but I think I got away from him…, and then there was the fog. That’s the last thing I remember.”

Tanuma finished jotting a few notes down before looking back up at Takato with a soft smile.

“Is there anything else that you would like to add, Mr. Matsuki?”

“Nothing I can think of.”

“Then I’m glad to let you know that we are done for now. We’ll have you work with the forensic artist to get a sketch of Daemon, and you will be free to go.”

Takato relaxed, glad to be done with the statement. That was one less thing hanging over him.

Now, if only they could find Daemon.

After Takato finished with the forensic artist, Makoto picked him up and took him for a much-needed haircut. HIs time in the Digital World left his unruly, shoulder-length hair out of control.

Makoto teased him all the way to Shinjuku about how cute he was ow that she could see his face, taking pleasure in how flustered he became.

“I like bakeries as much as the average person, but why did you want to come to this one? There are closer ones near our flat,” Makoto asked as they stood in front of the building that should have been the Matsuki Bakery but wasn’t.

“This bakery reminds me of home,” Takato admitted, eyes flitting over the building as he noted the similarities and differences.

Henry would have all sorts of thoughts about this world and how it parallels ours.

Takato was nowhere as analytical as Henry, but he missed hearing Henry talk about his theories.

“I forgot. My brother told me that your parents were — I mean, are — bakers,” Makoto said, squeezing Takato’s shoulders. “You must miss them a lot.”

“You have no idea,’ Takato replied, absent-minded as he debated whether or not to enter the bakery.

“Do you want to eat anything?” Makoto asked, but Takato shook his head. If they went inside, he knew he would start crying. The time when he cried all of the time was long over. He needed to accept his new reality.

“Can we go to Shinjuku Park next? I used to go there all of the time with my friends.”

“Do your friends still live around here?”

Takato stiffened as he realized Makoto was approaching a topic he may not have the best answer for. He couldn’t easily pull away from Makoto’s hold as that would draw suspicion. He’d have to find a way to answer her questions without lying or giving away the full truth.

“No.”

Makoto frowned.

“Why not?”

“It’s been so long since I’ve seen the…. We’re worlds apart by now.”

Takato breathed a sigh of relief when his words passed as truth without coming off as too suspicious. He felt bad keeping things from Makoto, who had so easily accepted him into her life without complaint, but it was better to have fewer people who knew the truth about him.

“Are you sure you want to let your friends go? I mean, you lost your home and your family. Don’t you want to hold onto what you have left?”

More than anything.

Takato swallowed as he mulled over Makoto’s question.

“The one who hurt me is still out there. I don’t want my friends to be in harm’s way.”

That much was true. Takato didn’t want to think about Daemon hurting the other Tamers. He couldn’t stand to imagine what the sadistic Demon Lord could do to them.

Takato knew they could help balance the scales against Daemon. They were stronger together, and they always had been. Nevertheless, Takato was happy that his friends were far removed from the potential danger budding in the Digital World.

Makoto looked like there was something she wanted to say, but to Takato’s relief, she veered away from the topic. She must have seen how uncomfortable he had been.

When they arrived at the park, Takato eyed a group of kids playing nearby with curiosity.

Two were dressed as All Might and Endeavor, posing heroically opposite of a boy who resembled a humanoid chameleon.

“How cute. They’re playing Heroes and Villains.” Makoto smiled as she followed his gaze.

“Heroes and Villains…” Takato raised an eyebrow as he observed this world’s version of Cops and Robbers. “I keep forgetting how much people love heroes.”

“Almost everyone dreams of being a hero at some point in their life. Unfortunately, not everyone has the capability. There are loads of rules and regulations about who can and who cannot be a hero. Not to mention, there are a limited amount of spots in the hero study courses. Some people make it through, while others have to come to terms with reality sooner than later.”

“That must suck,” Takato replied. The path to becoming a hero was more difficult than he’d initially imagined, but he wouldn’t let that deter him.

He would do whatever it took to defeat Daemon and go home.

As he thought of returning home, Takato remembered why he chose to come to Shinjuku Park, to begin with.

“Do you mind if I go for a small run?” Takato asked Makoto. “All of that time in the hospital left me with a lot of pent-up energy.”

“Just don’t push yourself too hard,” Makoto advised. “Don’t go too far, okay? Naomasa would kill me if I lost you.”

“I won’t take too long,” Takato promised. “I’ll text you if anything comes up.”

After waving goodbye, the Tamer jogged away, passing the squabbling children on his way and rolling his eyes as they argued about who got to play the hero and why. A person’s appearance shouldn’t be the sole determinant of heroism.

He beelined straight for an all-too-familiar pathway until he came across the shack that was once Guilmon’s home.

A soft smile spread across his face as he approached the Tamers’ favorite hideout, nostalgia hitting him.

I never thought I’d see this place again…

Unlike the shack Takato knew, there were no holes in the back since Guilmon didn’t live in this one. He snickered as he imagined what Guilmon would say if he were awake right now. He’d probably try to add his personal touches to the building.

While Takato hadn’t liked Guilmon destroying public property, they may never have found the portal to the Digital World if he hadn’t.

Takato opened the gate and went inside, running a hand against the concrete walls. He wondered if the portal was buried behind it or not.

Takato sniffed at the air, hoping that, through Guilmon’s memories, he would know the portal’s scent, but he had no luck. He didn’t think he could get a clear answer until he dug deeper.

He bit his lip as he considered what he wanted to do. It was one thing for property damage to have happened when Guilmon hadn’t known any better. It was different this time, but it didn’t change the fact that Takato needed to know if the portal was there or not.

There’s only one way to find out.

“Digi-modify! Invisibility Cloak Activate!”

Takato watched as his body slowly faded from view, all thanks to the card he’d received from the Monster Makers shortly before the Parasimon invasion. He was glad it still worked as intended, even with his unique situation.

Nodding in satisfaction, Takato pulled out yet another card.

“Digi-modify! Digmon’s Drill Activate!”

Takato felt more than saw his arms turn into large drills and grinned.

Here goes nothing.

“What happened to you?” Makoto asked Takato, gaping at his filthy appearance. “I thought you were going for a run. You were gone for ages!”

“Sorry, I lost track of time,” Takato scratched his dirt-covered cheek as he shifted from one foot to another. “I lost sight of the trail during my run and took a few tumbles into the dirt in the process.”

“I thought you hung around here a lot.”

“I do, but I spaced out during my run and didn’t realize when I made a wrong turn until it was too late,” Takato said, glad she wasn’t touching him at the moment.

“Be careful next time. I’m beginning to understand why Naomasa told me to keep an eye on you.”

Takato could do nothing but nod and smile sheepishly in the face of Makoto’s exasperation. There really was nothing he could say.

“Ready to go home?”

“Yeah. Let’s go.”

As they left the park, Takato glanced behind with a bemused expression.

Despite all of his efforts, he found no sign of a portal at the hangout. He supposed not everything could work out the same way as it did in his world.

It was almost a week since Takato arrived in this world, and he was no closer to finding Daemon or a way home.

It was too early to give up, but it was enough time to let doubt settle in.

Much of his anxiety stemmed from not knowing the current condition of the Digital World.

He and Daemon broke the truce between Royal Knights and the Demon Lords. Not only that, but Takato didn’t know how long the Digital Hazard had been active before he and Daemon were ejected from the Digital World.

He prayed the Royal Knights would be able to restore order sooner than later.

If only I could communicate with them.

Takato’s steps faltered. Communication between worlds wasn’t impossible, but Takato had neither Hypnos’ resources nor Henry’s technical aptitude.

I’ll figure something out.

“Something on your mind?”

Takato blinked as he snapped out of his thoughts and turned to Makoto.

“I’m sorry. What?”

“You look a little lost.”

“Sorry. I’m just tired.”

Makoto nodded in understanding.

“It’s only been a day since you left the hospital. You shouldn’t exert yourself too much just yet. Rest up while you can, because tomorrow, we go shopping for everything you need. After that, you’ll start school again, and then you’ll be wishing for time to relax.”

“Don’t remind me,” Takato responded.

Unfortunately for the both of them, the chance for rest escaped them as screams broke through the peace.

Takato had wanted time to explore the city on his own, but he never imagined he’d gain the opportunity by getting separated from Makoto during a villain attack.

He still didn’t know what exactly happened. One moment, they were talking on their way to the subway station, and then the next, Takato was carried away by the panicked crowd despite all efforts to stick by his guardian’s side. He could still hear her scream before he lost sight of her. He prayed that she made it out okay. She had been swept away by the crowd away from the villain attack as well, so he was sure she would be fine.

To make matters worse, Takato had dropped his cellphone in the chaos.

I only had that for a day…

Takato chewed on his lip as he debated on what he should do.

He was tempted to investigate the slums on his own but knew that, given the circumstances of his separation, the smarter move would be to return to a police station and get in contact with Tsukauchi.

Now, if only I could remember how I got here.

When the screams first started, Takato had flashed back straight to the massacre he was forced to witness while at Daemon’s mercy. By the time his mind cleared, Takato had no idea where he was.

Just as Takato decided which path to take, his D-Arc flashed red and started to beep.

There was a Digimon nearby, and no matter what Tsukauchi advised, Takato couldn’t turn a blind eye.

Is Daemon showing himself already?

Takato’s heart raced as the compass activated, pointing him in the opposite direction from his original planned route. He didn’t waste a second following the signal.

He barely paid attention to how long he ran or how far, but he soon regretted that when the signal faded, leaving him stranded in the middle of a dark alley.

Where did he go?

Takato scanned the area, enhanced vision cutting through the darkness with ease.

There was no one in sight, and while he could smell people close by, he couldn’t smell any Digimon. He glanced at his D-Arc with a frown.

Was the signal a fluke? Now I’m even more lost than I was before.

He tried to get his bearings and stiffened as he heard footsteps coming towards him from all locations.

At first, Takato thought of asking whoever came for directions, but the four men that emerged from the darkness looked far from friendly.

Takato remembered Tsukauchi’s warnings about the danger in this world. He never expected he would experience it so soon.

Chapter Text

Tsukauchi frowned as he reviewed a group of files regarding Kugutsu Mario, Kuguzaki Souga, Tokage Raputo, Touchi Moyoru, and Iwako Akira, all of whom were involved in recent villain breakout incidents under the influence of “Trigger” over the past few weeks.

He had a feeling the case wouldn’t be any easier to resolve than the Fog Bank Incidents, and it could take away important resources needed to search for Daemon.

He knew it was important to get to the bottom of this case as the Instant Villains and their source posed a genuine threat to the public, but he hoped they wouldn’t regret the time lost to find Daemon.

In the eyes of the Police Force, there was more proof in regards to the Trigger case. Daemon, who had shown no sign of existence aside from his violent Bio-emergence, would easily be passed off as a “Boogeyman.”

Takato wouldn’t be happy about this.

If things went the way Tsukauchi feared they would, he would have his hands full, keeping the preteen from taking matters into his own hands.

Do I have any right to stop him? Takato’s right in the sense that he is the best equipped to handle the situation, but…

Tsukauchi grimaced. He couldn’t stomach the thought of putting an eleven-year-old child in danger, even if said child was used to it.

He was startled when his phone rang, and he noted it was Makoto, who rarely called him at work unless it was an emergency.

“Takato’s gone!” Makoto exclaimed the moment he answered.

Tsukauchi stood up so fast that his chair fell, heart racing as he processed her words.

“Wait, what? What do you mean you lost him?” He asked, voice rising. He didn’t even care that he attracted the attention of nearby officers.

Did Takato run away?

Tsukauchi dismissed the thought as quickly as it came. It was too soon to come to that conclusion.

“We were on our way home when a robber burst out of a nearby store, causing a panic. Everyone started running, and in the chaos, Takato and I got separated. I tried to look for him once the police and heroes managed to settle the situation down, but he’s nowhere to be found.”

“Did you try to call him?”

“Of course I did! No one answered, and I soon found out why when I found his phone where I first lost him. He must have dropped it when he was swept away by the crowd.”

Tsukauchi swore. Takato wasn’t kidding when he said trouble found him whether he looked for it or not. The problem was that, from what he’d heard, Takato tended to run straight towards danger instead of away from it as a normal person would.

He took a deep breath and forced himself to calm. Tsukauchi wouldn’t be able to do any good by freaking out.

“Takato’s a resourceful boy. He knows where our home and the police station are. There’s a chance he’ll try to go either. Go home, Makoto. Let me know if he’s there. I’ll keep an eye around here. Don’t worry. We’ll find him.”

“O-okay,” Makoto replied. “Keep me posted.”

“I will,” Tsukauchi promised before hanging up.

He nearly jumped a foot in the air when someone grabbed his shoulder. He whirled around and saw Tamakawa standing there.

“I can keep an eye out for Takato here. You can go out to look for him. I know you won’t be able to relax until you do. I’ll tap into the security footage surrounding the recent robbery to try to get an idea where he could have ended up. I’ll let you know if I find anything.”

“Thanks,” Tsukauchi replied, grateful for the help. He bowed before racing out of the police station.

When he found Takato, he swore he’d put a tracker on the boy’s digivice. He had a feeling the boy didn’t go anywhere without it. It had only been a day since Takato became his foster child, and Tsukauchi felt he’d aged years.

If he felt like this now, he could only imagine what Takato’s biological parents felt.

I’ll return him to you safe and sound.

Takato griped his D-Arc tightly while slipping a card from his deck, keeping a sharp eye on the men attempting to surround him.

Their leering eyes and manic grins were more than enough for him to know they weren’t friendly.

“You’re awfully young to be out so late,” a man with knives sticking out of his body drawled. “Did you get lost?”

“I don’t want any trouble,” Takato replied, conflicted. In the Digital World, if negotiations failed, he and Guilmon eliminated threats. But this time, the threats were human. He didn’t know if he would be able to fight them, but he did know one thing.

They wouldn’t show him the same mercy.

“If you didn’t want any trouble, you should’ve avoided our turf,” an ogre-like guy replied, baring his tusks.

“How are you going to make it up to us?” the smallest guy in the group asked, flexing his clawed hands threateningly.

“I don’t have any money,” Takato replied as he took a few steps back, cursing as he bumped into a wall. What an amateur mistake.

“How about that thing you’re holding,” the last goon, a man who appeared to be made of stone, suggested.

“W-what?” Takato gaped, thrown off. How could someone, who had no idea what a D-Arc was, pick it out as a target worth stealing? “It’s just a toy.”

“Then you’ll have no problem giving it to us,” Knife said.

“Not going to happen,” Takato snapped.

“You can’t say we didn’t give you a chance to come out of this unscathed.” Ogre lunged towards Takato, and instinct took over.

He slashed a Power card through his D-Arc with minimal fanfare as not to draw more attention to it than necessary and then ducked under Ogre’s swing. Taking a step into Ogre’s defense, Takato punched him straight in the gut and then followed it with an uppercut when the man doubled over with a wheeze, sending him flying away from him.

For a moment, Takato froze, afraid of how much the card had enhanced his strength but sighed in relief when he saw the man still breathed. He had never fought a human before. The thought of accidentally killing one terrified him, but he couldn’t afford to succumb to his fear at the moment.

The Power card gave a nice strength boost, but the effect was only temporary like all modify cards. He would have to make every second count, especially now that the chance to get out of the situation without violence had flown out of the window.

“You’ll pay for that, brat!”

Takato kept a brave face as he dove through the opening made by Ogre’s fall, desperate to get away from where he’d backed himself into a corner. If he had more ground, he had better chances of getting out of the situation intact.

He may have faced worse odds in the Digital World, but he always had done that with Guilmon by his side. Guilmon may still be with him but asleep as he was, Takato was still on his own. At the same time, he knew he couldn’t afford to lose. If he died, so would Guilmon, and that was something he couldn’t allow.

Takato felt a presence behind him, whirling around and ducking backward in time to avoid a clawed swipe. Using the momentum of his fall, he swept his leg out and knocked Claw down. He followed it up with a solid punch to the face. This time, his blow only stunned the older male.

Damn, the card wore off.

The air whistled behind him, and Takato rolled out of the way in time to avoid Stone’s blow, which instead plowed into his comrade, doing the job of knocking him out for Takato.

That worked. Takato couldn’t help but wince in sympathy as he saw blood trickle out of the unconscious clawed man’s slack lips. He felt bad that the guy took the hit meant for him, but he was also glad that hadn’t been him. He didn’t want to think of how he’d be if that blow had landed.

Two more to go.

Two days had passed since Aizawa Shouta, otherwise known as Eraser Head, started investigating the villain behind the Fog Bank incidents. His efforts were hindered by less-than-cooperative witnesses, petty crimes, an overall lack of information about the villain, and his regular patrol shifts.

Like the one he was on now.

He had only just resumed his patrol after sorting out the details of the recent robbery he’d taken care of when he got a call from Tsukauchi.

“Hello?”

“You were the hero on site of the robbery near Shinjuku Station, right?”

While confused, Eraser Head’s focus sharpened as he heard the barely contained panic in the detective’s voice.

“What’s wrong?”

“Do you remember the child I told you about?”

It didn’t take long for Eraser Head to know who the detective spoke of. The hero had seen many gruesome things during his time as a hero, but the image of the small child’s gruesome injuries was burned in his memory.

“What about him?”

“He was there during the robbery and, in the process, my sister lost him. We haven’t been able to find him and, according to CCTV footage, he’s somehow ended up in the seedier parts of town. I’m heading there as fast as I can, but according to your patrol route, he should be closer to you. I normally wouldn’t ask this of you, but I need your help.”

In all of Eraser Head’s previous experiences with Tsukauchi, the detective had never made any personal requests to a hero, respecting their boundaries. Eraser Head had always respected the detective’s dedication to his work. Even if Tsukauchi hadn’t made such a request this time, Eraser Head was inclined to search for the child. He couldn’t, in good conscience, leave a child in potential danger.

“You don’t need to ask.”

“Thank you…”

“I’ll let you know if I find him.”

With that, Eraser Head hung up the phone, placed his goggles over his eyes, and raced towards the direction Tsukauchi texted him, determined to find the child before any harm came to him.

Maybe Takato had been too cocky in believing that the remaining two goons would be as easy to deal with as their fallen comrades.

They were faster, stronger, and smarter than the others, and Takato was hard-pressed. He could neither run nor land a blow that made any noticeable impact. He debated using a modify card that would allow him to borrow another Digimon’s ability, but he was terrified of accidentally killing the humans.

Who knew holding back would be this hard?

Takato, as himself, couldn’t match the strength of an adult male, much less one with a quirk. Reluctant to use an attack-based modify card, Takato used a speed card to help him evade his aggressors instead.

I can’t keep this up forever.

He dove to the side to avoid Stone’s attack before rolling out of the way of the Knife’s downward stab.

Popping back up to his feet, Takato scrambled backward to create space, unfortunately missing a change in his surroundings due to his focus on the enemies in front of him.

At least, he did. Until his head exploded with pain, sending him to the ground. Something wet trickled down his head, and a large hand dug into his hair, dragging him back to his feet.

His vision soon cleared, and Takato met the angry gazes of Knife and Stone. Claw was still unconscious a short distance away, which meant…

I forgot about Ogre. How stupid could he be?

Stone sneered at him and wrenched the D-Arc from Takato’s grip, grinning at the boy’s weakened protests as he threw the digivice to Knife.

“You put up a surprisingly good fight for a pipsqueak. Bet you regret not cooperating now,” Knife gloated. “It is over for you now. Too bad.”

He produced a large, jagged knife from his arm and thrust its straight towards Takato’s heart.

It didn’t take Eraser Head long to find Takato once he knew his general location. The loud noises from the nearby altercation were hard to miss.

As he came closer, using rooftops for quick travel, he got a closer look at the situation, and his heart started to race as he saw the boy he sought get smacked down by an ogre-like man. He quickened his pace as the man dragged Takato to his feet, leaving him at the mercy of the three crooks.

Eraser Head’s desperation increased when he saw the glint of a knife being drawn.

I’m not going to make it! he thought in horror as the man holding the blade thrust it forward.

Eraser Head feared the boy would die, but he was as surprised as the goons when the blade stopped flat before it could make purchase, bending and snapping off of the hilt. The goon gaped at the broken blade, gobsmacked, but that didn’t keep his, or anyone’s, attention for long.

A low, guttural growl filled the air, sending a chill down everyone’s spine.

Where’s it coming from? It doesn’t sound human. Eraser Head scanned the area for any new interloper but found none.

“What the hell?” Knife exclaimed as the toy he clutched in his hand started to glow a brilliant white color.

The growling intensified, and soon, they all realized the sound originated from the boy still in the ogre’s clutches.

“Shut your mouth!” Stone yelled, throwing a punch only for the boy to catch his fist single-handedly, still growling. Slowly, Takato raised his head, revealing a pair of constricted golden eyes that glowed in the dark and a fanged snarl.

“W-what?”

Ogre released Takato, seeing the fear in his comrades’ eyes, and they all backed away from the child, unsure of what was going on.

Takato’s gloves suddenly caught fire and burned away, revealing two sets of four triangles that glowed with a brilliant red light.

If Knife paid attention to the device in his hand, he would have seen a word go across the screen in bright green letters.

EVOLUTION.

Red, black and white scales spread across his body, covering every inch of exposed skin, his brown hair turned to a snowy white, and his fingernails lengthened and curved into vicious claws to match his new fangs.

Once the transformation was complete, the draconic preteen announced his rage with a feral roar.

I thought he was quirkless. Takato’s change dumbfounded Eraser Head. He was no stranger to Transformation-type quirks. There was something different about this one. He just couldn’t place how at the moment. He was so stunned by the turn of events. He made no move to intervene.

“That bastard didn’t tell us about this!” Knife exclaimed, gaping.

Takato’s sharp eyes turned on him before falling on the device still in the man’s hand, clearly something important to him.

Baring his teeth, Takato lunged forward to grab it, but Stone played interference by pushing him off course.

Undeterred, Takato simply switched targets, fist bursting into flame.

“Rock Breaker!”

He slammed the fist into the ground in front of him, causing the ground to splinter. The crack spread all the way to Stone, knocking him off of his feet and causing his head to slam into the ground. He made no move to get up, out cold.

Takato glowered at the downed man before turning to his right as Ogre approached him.

Takato opened his mouth, and smoke started to see out as an ominous red light started to build in his throat.

Eraser Head snapped out of his daze, loosening his capture cloth in case he needed to subdue the seemingly out-of-control child, faltering as the boy, in a deliberate motion, turned his head and unleashed a fireball that missed the Ogre by a few centimeters and hit the street instead. Debris flew into the air from the large, smoking crater behind the Ogre.

That was enough to make the ogre collapse to the ground, soaked in his own urine as he trembled in fear.

He missed on purpose. Eraser Head didn’t know if he should be more impressed by Takato’s precision or self-control in keeping from directly attacking his assailant while in a feral state.

In the end, Eraser Head didn’t have to make any move to stop the goons as once Takato refocused on Knife, the man didn’t hesitate to relinquish what he’d stolen and throw his hands up in surrender.

“Please… don’t kill me!”

Takato leaned into the man’s space, eyes boring into Knife’s before he suddenly roared right in his face. Knife screamed before passing out.

Huffing in satisfaction, Takato reclaimed his lost belongings, rage quieted by the goons’ submission.

His guard went back up, however, when Eraser Head made his presence known. Takato growled in warning as he took a step back in response to Eraser Head’s approach. He made no move to attack.

Eraser Head studied the boy. As bestial as he seemed, the intelligence in Takato’s eyes was evident. He wouldn’t attack someone who hasn’t tried to hurt him first.

“You do know the use of quirks without a license is illegal, right?” He asked while binding the surrendered villains.

Takato blinked but showed no other reaction, making it clear he had no idea what Eraser Head spoke about.

“Takato!”

Both Takato and Eraser Head turned to see Tsukauchi running towards them. He stopped short when he saw Takato, clearly stunned by the boy’s new appearance.

Takato sniffed audibly in the police detective’s direction, and, finally, his eyes dilated, and a goofy smile crossed his face.

A childish voice, very unlike the vicious growl of before, came out of his mouth.

“You’re Takato’s new daddy!”

Eraser Head never saw anyone turn as red as Tsukauchi did without the assistance of a quirk. It would be rather amusing if it weren’t for the confusing statement.

The boy referred to Takato as if he wasn’t Takato. If he wasn’t, then who was he?

He turned to Tsukauchi, who, instead of being confused, seemed surprised instead.

“Guilmon?”

The boy giggled, the epitome of innocent, which was enough of an answer to satisfy Tsukauchi.

Eraser Head frowned at the detective, observing his reactions.

The detective had been the one to share information about the child when discussing the Fog Bank incidents. Still, the underground hero had a feeling Tsukauchi hadn’t been as forthcoming as initially believed.

“I thought you said the boy didn’t have a quirk? Who’s Guilmon?”

Tsukauchi winced and was about to say something when the device in Takato— or rather, Guilmon’s— hand started to beep, and the boy switched back to feral mode, turning a complete one-eighty and rushing off into the darkness.

“Wait!” Tsukauchi called out, moving to go after him, but Eraser Head stopped him.

“I’ll get him. Stay here and watch over the criminals,” the hero advised, already giving chase.

Guilmon was fast, but Eraser Head still caught up and wrapped him in his capture cloth. The possessed child struggled against him, growling as his eyes fixated on something in the distance that Eraser Head couldn’t see.

“Calm down. What’s got you so worked up?” The underground hero grunted with effort to subdue Guilmon. He was stronger than he looked.

“He’s here. I can smell him,” Guilmon snarled, dragging Eraser Head forward.

“Who is?”

“Daemon.”

Eraser Head stiffened and started to scan the area more intently. Still, he saw nothing.

“He’s getting away.” Guilmon lunged forward, nearly knocking Eraser Head off balance.

The hero briefly considered using his quirk to suppress Takato’s but realized the boy had done what the police and heroes failed to do by detecting Daemon.

“I’m going to let you go, but you need to promise not to run off on your own, okay? Don’t play the hero.”

Guilmon stared at him for a few moments before he stopped struggling, showing that he understood.

Eraser Head released him, and Guilmon led him forward at a pace more manageable to follow, but then the device’s beeping stopped, and so did Guilmon. The boy frowned and started sniffing around.

“What’s wrong?” Eraser Head asked, right before Guilmon howled in frustration.

“He’s gone.”

“What do you mean he’s gone?” Eraser Head looked around, searching for any sign of life aside from the two of them without luck. He wanted to search more in-depth but was reluctant to drag the child with him.

In the end, the matter was taken out of his hands as the hero heard a soft thud behind him, which turned out to be Takato collapse on the ground, unconscious and no longer transformed.

He must have reached his limit.

Sighing, he scooped the child up in a princess carry and headed back to where he left Tsukauchi. It was hard to believe the innocent little boy in his arms turned into the vicious monster that intimidated his enemies into submission.

Then again, the hero remembered the man with claws who had been unconscious even before he’d arrived.

Clearly, Takato had put a fight against the goons even before his quirk activated. Surprising behavior for an eleven-year-old child, much less one who only recently recovered from a traumatic experience.

Just who are you, kid?

By the time Eraser Head rejoined Tsukauchi, other police officers had arrived to apprehend the criminals. The hero paid them no mind, eyes focused on Takato’s guardian, even as he transferred Takato into Tsukauchi’s waiting arms.

“We need to talk.”

Chapter Text

This new world is more interesting than I had previously imagined.

Daemon— or rather, Pagumon as he was now— never would have imagined that weak, pitiful humans would be able to manifest abilities as unique and diverse as those of Digimon, with obvious limitation, of course. No matter how humans evolved, they could never match the potential of their creations.

Pagumon wasn't worried about the possible threat they posed to him in his weakened state. Even if the Tamer alerted humans of his presence, they had no idea what to look for. They would search for his Mega form, unknowing of what form he would take. By the time Pagumon regained his true strength, it would be too late for the humans to stop him.

The only one who posed even a semblance of a threat was the one who cost him his evolutions in the first place, but Daemon had plans for him.

Daemon was aware of the Digital Hazard and what it was capable of. The destruction caused by Megidramon's birth had not gone unnoticed. That was when Daemon first caught wind of the young Tamer and his partner.

He never imagined such a small human child was capable of such wrath.

It was breathtaking.

Even as the duo abandoned their destructive potential and donned the repulsive form of a hauntingly familiar white knight, Daemon's budding obsession only continued to grow.

Like the Gallantmon before them, the emblem of the Digital Hazard remained prominent on their chest plate. Unlike their predecessor, both Tamer and his partner were more susceptible to succumbing to the destructive power.

Although there was a Hazard Digimon amongst the Demon Lords, something was enticing about corrupting a Digimon meant for good.

When the boy returned to the Digital World, now trapped by the Firewall preventing travel between worlds, Daemon rejoiced at the chance to observe and manipulate the duo as he pleased.

He sent countless Digimon after them, under the guise of territory disputes, and relished in their victories and growing fatigue. Once the duo was at their breaking point, Daemon would make his move.

The Demon Lord should have known he wasn't the only one watching them.

When the Royal Knights took Takato and Guilmon within their ranks, Daemon destroyed an entire mountain range with all of its inhabitants in his rage.

Once he calmed down, he resolved to be patient. The Royal Knights couldn't shelter him forever, and once that happened, Daemon would strike.

And strike he did.

The new Royal Knight's fear was amusing, even as it bled into determination as Gallantmon fought against him.

The only moment Daemon no longer felt amused was when Gallantmon ascended to Crimson Mode and sealed the Digital Hazard within his DigiCore.

That wouldn't do.

Although Crimson Mode provided Gallantmon an impressive power boost, Daemon unleashed more of his power and subdued the Royal Knight with extreme prejudice.

The angelic knight's agonized screams as his wings were torn from his body still intoxicated the Demon Lord even now.

He left his mark on his obsession, and they would never forget it as long as they lived.

Gallantmon would never be able to overcome him, no matter what he did. His fear would cripple him.

Once he broke Gallantmon, Daemon took it further by showing the knight that all of his efforts to protect innocent Digimon were in vain. He could never be the hero he dreamed of being.

Like Daemon predicted, that was all it took for Gallantmon to unleash the Digital Hazard.

What he failed to take into account, however, was how Gallantmon's hybrid state would affect the evolution.

Instead of the mindlessly rampaging Megidramon, the cold and calculating ChaosGallantmon appeared instead.

The dark knight slaughtered the Daemon Corps with an enthralling degree of brutality before focusing on Daemon.

Daemon made a mistake by underestimating him. He didn't think the corrupted knight could be that much more powerful than his Holy counterpart.  But it wasn't strength alone that made the difference.

Gallantmon was shackled by his honor and innate desire to show mercy. ChaosGallantmon was not. He did whatever was necessary to achieve his desired result. If it hadn't been for the Digital World forcibly ejecting the both of them into another world, Daemon might not have survived. The last thing he had seen before passing out was ChaosGallantmon reverting to Gallantmon, Daemon's efforts not enough to taint the Royal Knight permanently.

Pagumon would be lying if he said he wasn't upset about losing so much of his hard-earned power, but he was also impressed.

It would take effort to shift Takato and Guilmon's path towards darkness, but it would be worth it.

If Daemon played his cards right, he would have the perfect agent of the apocalypse in his grasp, and this new world would be the ideal testing ground.

In the meantime, the weakened Demon Lord would ensure his targets never forgot his presence. He didn't even care that the humans he'd hired to terrorize the Tamer had failed to steal his digivice. In the end, he'd reached his original intention of announcing his presence to the duo.

Pagumon had the perfect playground to torment Takato and Guilmon and achieve his goals with minimal interference in this imperfect world.

The boy had a knack for finding people willing to protect him, but that didn't matter. The humans could do nothing.

When he absorbed information about the new world, he'd pinpointed the location of a few interesting parties that he planned to investigate. It never hurt to have a few pawns to play with.

Now I have to find the perfect disguise to blend in.

Red eyes settled on a grumbling teenage boy passing by the alley Pagumon hid in, and a dark chuckle escaped the Digimon.

You'll do.

When Tsukauchi entered the police station, Aizawa in tow, he encountered the Police Chief, Tsurugamae Kenji, waiting for him.

"Word has it that the latest criminals brought in attacked your charge," the dog-headed man stated. "The one who didn't require medical attention has already been booked and is ready for questioning. How is the boy?"

"My sister accompanied him to the hospital to get checked out. According to her last update, he only has mild injuries. Other than being exhausted from overexerting himself, Takato will be fine."

Tsukauchi's lips thinned as he remembered the dried blood marring Takato's pale skin and the cut in his shirt right where his heart was. If Guilmon hadn't awoken when he did...

The detective's hands balled into fists as he struggled to reign in his anger. He wouldn't do any good if he lost his temper.

"You should be with him," the Police Chief advised.

"And I will be," Tsukauchi agreed. "Once I finish interrogating the ones who attacked him."

Tsurugamae studied the detective silently for a few moments before speaking.

"I should be telling you to let someone else take care of this since you're too close to the case, but I won't. Something tells me that won't stop you, but don't make a habit of this."

"Thank you, sir." Tsukauchi bowed to the Police Chief, who then turned to Aizawa.

"Thank you, once again, for your assistance, Eraser Head. If you hadn't been there, who knows what may have happened to the child."

Tsukauchi noticed the way Aizawa's eyebrow twitched, and he braced himself for the hero revealing the truth behind who defeated the goons. Still, to his surprise, Aizawa made no mention of it.

"The boy's a fighter. He managed to keep them at bay until I got there."

"Are you here to submit your report already? You don't normally hang around for this part of the arrest process," Tsurugamae commented.

"I wanted to sit in on the interrogation, too," Aizawa responded. "There are some loose ends I wanted to sort out."

The lot Aizawa sent Tsukauchi's way let the detective know that his future explanation would determine Aizawa's choice about what information he would disclose.

The detective grimaced. He'd promised the hero answers but insisted they wait for Takato to awaken. The Tamer deserved to be involved. It was his secret, after all. Tsukauchi had no right to divulge anything Takato wasn't comfortable with. Not unless there was no other choice.

It was clear Takato trusted him. The way Guilmon calmed upon sight of him was proof enough.

His cheeks warmed as he thought of the title the Digimon bestowed upon him. He never dreamed he'd hear something like that any time soon, but he found that, while it was a little early, he didn't mind the thought all that much.

"Are you ready?" Aizawa asked, knocking him out of his reverie. The upturned tilt of his lips let Tsukauchi know that the hero had an idea of his train of thought.

Clearing his throat, Tsukauchi nodded, and they headed to the interrogation room, Aizawa standing in the corner of the room as a silent observer. At the same time, Tsukauchi sat across from the knife-wielding man who nearly killed his charge.

"Hirai Shiro. Twenty-six years old," Tsukaucchi began as he verified the background information he'd been given with the grumpy man who was handcuffed to the table. "That's quite a few priors on your record. This isn't your first time going through this, so you should know how this will go. Tell me what you know, and this will be over quickly. Refuse or lie, and this could go on for a very long time, so I recommend you cooperate."

"Screw you," Hirai snapped, flipping Tsukauchi off, who remained calm despite the provocation.

"You're acting bravely for someone who got the wits scared out of him by a child."

The goon reddened before glowering.

"That wasn't a child. That was a monster."

Tsukauchi clenched his teeth but kept his face otherwise neutral.

"That 'monster' barely laid a hand on you, unlike you and your colleagues. You certainly tried your best to kill him."

Hirai scoffed and looked away.

"Why did you attack the boy?"

Hirai didn't answer at first, but Tsukauchi asked again more insistently with an underlying threat in his tone. Behind him, Aizawa glowered at the goon with red eyes, hair raising above his head. The hero was more than aware of how well the man responded to intimidation measures. Paling, Hirai finally started to cooperate.

"He invaded our turf."

Lie.

Tsukauchi frowned. While territory disputes were common in the seedier parts of town, that wasn't the case here.

"Try again."

"I just told you."

"Don't waste your time lying. My quirk allows me to see past that. Now, I'll ask one more time. Why did you attack him?"

Hirai looked conflicted before giving in.

"We were told to."

Truth.

"By who?"

"I don't know. I'm telling the truth!"

Tsukauchi's frown deepened. He knew that even without the insistence.

"How did you not know?"

"We got an anonymous email with the boy's picture. Whoever sent the message offered a lot of money if we killed the kid and took his toy. Don't ask me why. I don't know."

Who would want to kill Takato? There aren't many people who even know he exists.

In the end, there was only one person it could be.

Daemon.

Tsukauchi didn't know how the Digimon could obtain funds to hire goons to attack the Tamer or how he got the message across, but then he took a moment to think.

Digimon were creatures made of data, so along that line, that meant they could travel through and manipulate things on the Digital Plane. It wouldn't be farfetched for the Digimon to steal the funds — if he even obtained them in the first place — and email someone.

He shuddered as other potential cyber crimes ran through his mind. They were going to have to find measures to protect against that… if they could.

He pushed that thought aside for the moment. He would have to address it later. For now, he focused on the fact that the Demon Lord resorted to using humans to do his dirty work instead of going after Takato himself. Just as they suspected, he must have been too weak to do anything on his own.

Too bad we couldn't find him.

"Do you still have the email?"

"I do," Hirai admitted. "I doubt they'll do much good for you. After we sent our response back agreeing to the request, the link went dead. When we tried to send another message, it bounced right back."

Daemon wouldn't make it easy to find him.

Tsukauchi didn't let the news discourage him. It was still a more significant clue than they'd found so far.

"How did you find the boy?"

"We got another message letting us know where to be and that the boy would come to us."

"I thought you said the link didn't work anymore."

"It didn't. There was a new one. Before you ask, that one died too."

"Of course it did." Tsukauchi sighed. He didn't know how Takato ended up in that alley, and he had a feeling only the Tamer would have that answer.

"What happened when you encountered the boy?"

"We offered him a way out if he gave up his toy, but the stubborn brat refused. We figured he'd be more cooperative after we roughed him up, but he was feistier — and stronger — than we thought."

Tsukauchi felt a spark of pride for Takato not giving up without a fight, even if it worried him too. He couldn't blame Takato for fighting back, not when the goons tried to take something so important from him.

The rest of the interrogation proceeded without any new developments, and soon enough, Tsukauchi and Aizawa exited the room.

"Did you hear what you wanted to hear?" Tsukauchi asked, and Aizawa nodded.

"You think Daemon is behind this incident too, don't you?"

"It makes the most sense. You said Guilmon insisted that Daemon was there. I don't see why Daemon would be there if he weren't responsible."

"So he is after the kid," Aizawa muttered, crossing his arms. "Any thoughts as to why?"

"At first, I wasn't sure, but I think it may have to do with Takato's quirk," Tsukauchi responded, the only clue he was willing to give at the moment without Takato's express consent. He could see Aizawa's desire for more information, but he hoped the hero could wait it out a little longer.

Tsukauchi's phone rang, and his heart skipped a beat when he realized it was Makoto.

"Hello? Is Takato awake?" He was eager to know about the child's condition.

"N-Naomasa?" Makoto started; her voice was shaky. "I think you should come here."

"What's wrong?" Tsukauchi asked, tensing.

"I think you need to see this for yourself."

"I'll be right there." Tsukauchi met Aizawa's gaze, and in silent agreement, they headed out with one goal in mind.

Chapter Text

"It's time to wake up, Takato."

"Five more minutes, Mom…." Takato groaned.

A familiar childish giggle filled the air.

"I'm not your Mom, silly."

"Guilmon?" Opening one heavy eyelid, Takato met his partner's innocent eyes. "You Digivolved."

"You needed me," Guilmon said as Takato sat up, noting they floated within the strange gear-filled inner space they shared. He remained ensconced within his data sphere.

Takato opened his mouth to speak but faltered as his memories returned. He sat there, glossy-eyed, as he relived Guilmon's actions while in possession of his body.

There had never been a time where Guilmon's consciousness overrode his own, despite their many battles as Gallantmon. They had always been two minds controlling one body in perfect unison. Although it unnerved Takato to see his body move without his permission, he also knew his body was in no better hands.

He couldn't help but be impressed with how Guilmon defeated the hostile humans. The saurian Digimon had come a long way from his clumsy beginnings. He was grateful his partner had done his best to avoid directly attacking the humans he could have so easily killed in his rage.

His gratitude turned to pure embarrassment as he recalled the way Guilmon referred to Tsukauchi.

"I can't believe you called him that!" Takato moaned, covering his eyes as his face warmed.

"Why? That's what he is, isn't he?" Guilmon asked, their thoughts even more closely intertwined than usual due to their unique fusion state.

"It's not that easy, Guilmon," Takato responded. "Imagine if we were separated and someone else took care of you. Would that make them you're Tamer?"

Guilmon didn't waste even a second before shaking his head. "Takato's my Tamer. No one else."

"Exactly." Takato nodded, glad that Guilmon understood. "You are my only partner. No one can replace you. Just like no one can replace Mom and Dad."

His parents went above and beyond for him, supporting him when most parents would have overridden his will to keep him out of danger.  No one could take their place.

The Royal Knights became family in their own right during the extended time they spent together. They weren't the most affectionate lot, but they provided him with shelter, discipline, and sorely missed companionship.  They did everything in their power to increase Takato and Guile's survival in the Digital World while granting them a purpose for their existence that they had once lost. That alone earned the Royal Knights Takato and Guilmon's adoration.

But now, Takato had lost two families. He didn't know if he could open his heart to a new one. This world wasn't his, and eventually, he would have to leave it. He was too afraid to get attached.

"It's okay to let people in, Takato. Tsukauchi seems to care for you."

"He just feels responsible for me because I dumped a Digital World-sized bomb onto him," Takato said. "I don't want to burden him any more than we already have."

Takato couldn't imagine what measures Tsukauchi would have to take now that Guilmon was exposed before they had a chance to introduce the fact that Takato had a "quirk."

"Everything will turn out okay, Takato," Guilmon reassured his partner, pulling Takato out of his negative thought spiral. "We'll find a way to explain everything. Remember, y you're not alone."

"Right," Takato conceded, taking a deep breath. There was no point obsessing over the potential future disasters yet. Takato and Guilmon were together, and they had survived yet another life-threatening situation. That, sadly, was nothing new to them.

Gankoomon would be pissed if he saw how I handled that fight. Takato grimaced as he thought over the battle. He'd made too many mistakes.

"Nobody expects you to be perfect," Guilmon reminded him. "You won't make the same mistake again."

"Definitely not," Takato agreed. His first fight against humans didn't go as well as expected, but that had more to do with Takato not knowing his current limits. Once he got the hang of it, he'd be able to focus on the battle without dividing his attention. Not to mention that Guilmon would be there to share the burden.

Speaking of Guilmon, Takato frowned as he considered their situation. He was glad that Guilmon was awake, but he felt like Guilmon was a prisoner in Takato's body, and that was the last thing he wanted.

Guilmon should be free to move as he pleased, and Takato would have his partner back in every sense, putting them back on somewhat familiar ground. They were fish out of water in their current condition.

"There has to be a way to break the fusion," he murmured aloud.

"Did you try doing what normally worked?" Guilmon asked.

Takato nodded. "That was one of the first things I tried once I realized we were still merged."

"I was asleep. Maybe it didn't work when only one of us wished for it."

"That could be the case," Takato admitted. So far, every experiment he had done happened while Guilmon slept. There was no telling what could be different now that Guilmon was an active participant again.

There's no better time than the present to try.

Both Takato and Guilmon closed their eyes and made the same wish together.

That swore he heard a familiar chirp-like giggle that only one creature he knew made before his surroundings went dark.

When Aizawa agreed to investigate the Fog Bank Incident and the villain behind it, he never imagined the case would be quite as complicated as it turned out to be.

There had been little to no evidence of a villain matching Daemon's appearance anywhere near the crash site in the slums. Tsukauchi had warned both him and Edgeshot that Daemon might not appear as previously described, but that left the heroes with little to go off of. The trail had gone cold, and Aizawa had started to wonder if Daemon existed, to begin with.

The only person to ever see the villain was a child whose memories weren't intact—a child who was enshrouded in as much mystery as the villain himself.

The assassination attempt on the boy was the first lead the heroes had regarding Daemon, and while the effort had failed, it revealed that there was more to the boy than met the eye.

Whatever the boy hid may very well be why Daemon targeted him and his family in the first place.

Aizawa studied Tsukauchi out of the corner of his eye. Takato could hide the truth from many people, but Tsukauchi wasn't one of them. There was no way the detective would miss a lie or evasion after all of his years on the force.

Either Takato found a way to fool Tsukauchi's quirk, or the detective was aware of the boy's hiding.

Tsukauchi's reaction in the alley led Aizawa to believe it was the latter, not the former.

What could be so crucial that Tsukauchi would hinder his investigation?

Aizawa knew Tsukauchi enough to know that the detective wouldn't do such a thing without a good reason. That didn't mean Aizawa would turn a blind eye to it. He would get his answers, and if he deemed it necessary, he would bring it to light too.

Everything depended on how the detective and his new charge explained the situation.

Takato opened his eyes and met Guilmon's sleepy ones. He reflexively smiled at his partner before realizing they were no longer in their inner world.

Guilmon was there.

It worked!

Takato brought a shaking hand to Guilmon's head and nearly burst into tears as he brushed against warm scales, eliciting a purr from his partner.

The sound of someone hyperventilating alerted Takato that they weren't alone. His eyes fell on Makoto, who stood in the corner of the hospital room. She gawked at both of them while she held her cellphone to her ear.

"Aww, nuts," Tamer and Digimon chorused together, realizing their decision to reverse the merger happened at the wrong moment.

"I-it talks!" Makoto yelped, losing whatever composure she'd maintained until that point. She nearly dropped her phone as she pocked it, scrambling to leave the room in terror.

Panic flooded through Takato. The last thing he needed was more people aware of Guilmon before he and Tsukauchi could make a suitable cover story.

Takato didn't know how he managed it, but he flew from his bed to Makotos' side in a split second, hand closing over hers before she could finish opening the door. He absent-mindedly noticed that his hands still bore Zero units, indicating that his connection to Guilmon was still somewhat altered from the norm.

"W-wait! He won't hurt you!" He cried, stopping Makoto in her tracks.

Makoto stared at him, expression unreadable, but he knew she was aware that he spoke the truth.

"W-what is he? One moment you were lying there alone, and the next, he came out of you!"

Takato knew he'd have to pick his words carefully, but finding said words proved difficult as his adrenaline faded, bringing his aches and pains back into sharp focus.

Makoto must have seen his expression change as fear gave way to concern. She scooped him up, ignoring his protests, and brought him back to the bed, cautiously approaching from the opposite side of Guilmon before she placed Takato down.

"You shouldn't be out of bed until the doctor checks you out," she scolded him, even as her eyes tracked Guilmon's every movement.

"I'm sorry. I saw you running, and I panicked. The last thing I want is for you to be afraid of us."

Makoto stared into Takato's pleading eyes and sighed.

"Fine. I promise I won't run. Now, can you tell me what he is?"

"Guilmon is my friend," Takato answered. "And he wouldn't hurt anybody… unless they hurt me first."

"Like those bad men from earlier," Guilmon interjected. "No one hurts Takato. I won't let them."

Realization dawned upon Makoto.

"You… you're the one who saved Takato. I saw a couple of the thugs get wheeled into the hospital earlier, howling about a monster."

Guilmon nodded.

"All I did was scare them a little bit. Even if I'm a monster, that doesn't make me a bad one, right, Takato?"

"Of course not," Takato agreed, watching as Makoto relaxed in the face of Guilmon's innocent nature. He knew her fear couldn't last long once she took the time to look past his partner's appearance.

"You seem close. How long have you two known each other?"

"It feels like forever," Takato replied, choosing his words carefully. "He's a part of me."

"Is he part of your quirk? I thought you were quirkless."

"That's what I thought as well," a gruff voice rang out.

Takato was startled, his attention so focused on Makoto that he had failed to process the sounds of people approaching his room. He glanced at Guilmon, who didn't look the slightest bit surprised by Tsukauchi and the scruffy man Takato recognized from the alley.

"Who are you?" Guilmon asked, cocking his head to the side.

"This is Eraser Head, one of our local heroes on patrol today," Tsukauchi introduced the man.

Takato and Guilmon studied the man in surprise. He wasn't exactly what they imagined a hero would look like, but then again, they knew all too well about how appearances could be deceiving.

"You must be Guilmon," Eraser Head said as he stepped forward. "I take it this is your true form?"

The Digimon nodded before asking the question burning in his mind.

"Are you wearing pajamas?"

Tsukauchi choked in the background, and Eraser Head's eyes twitched.

"Guilmon, that's rude!" Takato flushed in mortification, covering the Digimon's mouth. He had spent way too much time around Terriermon for his own good. "I'm so sorry! He's just a baby. He doesn't know any better."

Now Eraser Head seemed amused instead of annoyed, raising an eyebrow before giving Guilmon a once over.

"That's one big baby," he drawled. "I'd hate to see his mother."

Takato relaxed his hold over Guilmon's mouth but regretted it seconds later when Guilmon spoke again.

"Takato's my Mommy."

The dismayed sound that escaped Takato's lips barely passed as human as he buried his face into his hands.

"Guilmon, whyyyy…"

Peeking through his fingers, Takato glimpsed Tsukauchi wipe tears of mirth from his eyes and glowered.

Traitor.

As Takato swallowed his embarrassment, he marveled over how open his partner was with the hero. He usually wouldn't be so forthcoming unless he felt he could trust the person.

Eraser Head, who originally appeared as if he suffered from perpetual disinterest, didn't look that way anymore, thanks to his amused smirk as he looked between Tamer and Digimon.

"He's your mother?"

Guilmon nodded.

"He's my father, brother, and best friend too."

"How's that possible?" Eraser Head asked, crossing his arms.

"Takato brought me to life."

Aizawa was speechless as he processed Guilmon's words.

When he first saw Takato's quirk manifest in the alley, he assumed he had a transformation/hybrid quirk with which he had a level of control most wouldn't have at that age. Then he learned about Guilmon. While unexpected, it wouldn't be the first time Aizawa saw a quirk that produced a familiar.

Guilmon having his own, separate body was another surprise, but some quirks allowed individual bodies to be made, such as Ectoplasm with his clones and Pixie-Bob with her Earth Beasts. Unlike Ectoplasm's clones, Guilmon was different in both appearance and personality, and in comparison to Pixie Bob's beasts, Guilmon was very much alive and had a will all his own.

As he watched the dragon interact with Takato, Aizawl had a hard time believing that Guilmon was merely a product of a quirk.

If Guilmon was alive, that meant Takato could create life, and Aizawa didn't want to think about the connotations that came with that. It crossed into territory he never even dreamed was possible.

Aizawa's eyes bore into Takato's, making the young child squirm in his seat.

"How did you bring him to life?"

Takato bit his lip and looked towards Tsukauchi, only relaxing when the detective gave him a nod of reassurance.

Aizawa didn't miss the interaction, now beginning to understand why Tsukauchi kept Takato's quirk a secret. If Takato's quirk was capable of what Aizawa suspected, the boy could gather a lot of unwanted attention. That may have already happened, given Daemon's actions.

He turned his attention back to Takato as the boy began to speak.

"I drew a picture of Guilmon one day in class and wished he was alive. The next thing I knew, I had an egg in front of me. Guilmon was born the next day."

"Oh, wow…" Makoto breathed as she sat back, no longer touching Takato. "I'd find that hard to believe if I didn't know you were telling the truth."

Aizawa glanced at Tsukauchi, who confirmed her words.

"That's quite a quirk you have," Aizawa remarked as he considered everything he'd observed. Takato had created Guilmon, who could use powerful abilities and implement his will separately or through Takato by sharing a body. Despite Takato advising that Guilmon was a "baby," the dragon was well-versed in battle. If this was what they were capable of now, he didn't want to think about what they would be capable of later. If Takato was able to create even more creatures like Guilmon with the same capabilities…

Aizawa shuddered. In the right hands, that ability could be amazing, but in the wrong ones…

"Could you create more?"

Takato looked surprised and confused by the question.

"Create more what?" He glanced at Guilmon, and realization seemed to hit him. "You mean, more Guilmons?"

"Or beings like him," Aizawa clarified.

Takato frowned.

"Honestly, I don't know. I never tried. But even if I could, I wouldn't want to."

"Why not?" Takato's answer wasn't what Aizawa had expected. Most children would be excited to experiment with their quirks, regardless of potential consequences.

"Guilmon's all I need. I don't need, nor want, any other partner."

Aizawa stared at the boy, surprised by his maturity and restraint. He supposed it was a blessing that such a powerful quirk hadn't fallen in the hands of someone more impulsive or irresponsible.

"Why did you tell everyone you're quirkless?"

Takato scratched at his cheek, focusing his attention on his lap.

"I… I forgot everything to do with quirks. I didn't even remember having one. So when the doctor asked me that day about what mine was, I naturally said no."

"When did you remember?"

"When I woke up here, and Guilmon was beside me," Takato replied, glad that Makoto was no longer touching him. Even if Tsukauchi knew he was lying, Takato knew the detective wouldn't give it away.

Aizawa turned to Tsukauchi.

"If the boy didn't remember his own quirk, how did you know about it and Guilmon?"

Tsukauchi ran a hand through his hair, glancing at Takato for a brief moment, before turning to Aizawa.

"I wasn't entirely sure until I saw him in the alley, but when I brought him home, I had noticed a few strange occurrences. Takato's senses seemed stronger than the average human's. He was more sensitive to noise, smell, and bright lights. He also was stronger than the average child if the dent on my door handle is anything to go by."

Takato's eyes widened, and he flushed. He hadn't known Tsukauchi had noticed that he'd had enhanced senses, and Takato hadn't even realized he'd damaged the apartment door when Makoto scared him the day before. He flushed and poured out apologies until Tsukauchi raised a hand to silence him as he continued his tale.

"Still, Takato didn't seem to remember or process that there was anything out of the ordinary going on, so I kept silent. Without more information, I couldn't make a proper judgment. And as for knowing about Guilmon… did you bring the sketchpad from home that I asked for, Makoto?"

Makoto seemed confused for a moment before brightening up, rushing to where she'd dropped her purse. She rummaged through it before pulling out the sketchpad Tsukauchi had gifted Takato. She handed it to Tsukauchi, who turned to the first page and put it down for everyone to see the picture of Guilmon, whose name was written above it.

"I caught Takato drawing this last night when he should have been sleeping. When I saw how Takato looked in the alley, the pattern of his scales looked just like Guilmon. From what I've seen, Takato may not have consciously remembered his quirk, but the signs were there."

"So that's how you recognized him," Aizawa remarked. "Now here's my next question… now that you remember your quirk, do you remember anything more about how you crossed paths with Daemon and the Fog Bank Incident?"

Takato swallowed. He thought he had been finished with answering questions about his arrival in the world, but it looked like that wouldn't be the case just yet.

Here goes nothing.

Chapter Text

"Let's put a stop to the interrogation for now," Tsukauchi interjected before Takato could speak. "It's late, and Takato's been through enough tonight, isn't that right?"

Takato fought the urge to insist that he was fine when four sets of eyes fell on him. Instead, he shrank into himself and nodded. He was glad that Tsukauchi chose to interrupt when he did. His weary mind couldn't come up with any words, much less a new cover story. If he tried now, he'd screw up.

Aizawa's eyes narrowed as he looked between child and guardian before he relaxed, conceding the point.

"You can't delay this conversation forever," the underground hero drawled.

"We won't," Tsukauchi promised. "But I believe it would be better to continue this conversation somewhere more private."

The detective's glance at his sister gave enough reason for both Takato and Aizawa to clue into his thought process.

"Fair point," Aizawa agreed. "Don't take too long, though. I still have to give my report about tonight's attack, and I figure it matters more to you two than I about what I choose to include in it."

"We'll arrange a time after Takato is discharged and has had adequate rest," Tsukauchi promised. "I still have three more meant to interrogate tonight, so I'll take my leave now. Makoto, do you mind staying with Takato and Guilmon now?"

"It's no problem," Makoto answered, though she seemed disappointed with the knowledge she wouldn't hear more about the case.

"I'll join you for the other interrogations," Aizawa told Tsukkauchi. "THere's still more you, and I need to discuss."

"You're more than welcome to tag along," Tsukauchi agreed, heading to the door before hesitating. He turned back to glance back at Guilmon in consideration. "Is there any way you can make him a little less conspicuous? He's a lot bigger than I imagined, and I'm afraid he'll cause a panic if anyone is caught unaware when they come to check on you."

"He caught me off guard," Makoto agreed.

"Am I that scary?" Guilmon asked, ears drooping.

"Not now that I know you, "Makoto replied, clearly falling for Guilmon's charm.

"The goons he fought wouldn't say the same," Aizawa snorted.

"I have a way to hide him," Takato reassured Tsukauchi.

"Good." Tsukauchi nodded in satisfaction before he and Aizawa left the room.

"I'll let the doctor know you're ready to be checked out," Makoto told Takato. "Sit tight, okay?"

"I won't go anywhere," Takato promised as she slipped away. He then turned to his partner. During their time in the Digital World, the Royal Knights had helped them master Guilmon's evolutions to a point where the young Digimon could choose to take his Baby or In-Training forms at will. It made it easier for Takato to move around with his partner's conspicuous form announcing their presence. That would come in handy now. He could have used the Invisibility Cloak card, but the timing of the effect wasn't always reliable, and he didn't want to open a new round of questioning just yet.

Guilmon didn't require a verbal request as he closed his eyes and focused. Slowly, he shrank down until he became Gigimon. Hearing footsteps coming their way, he crawled into Takato's lap and went still, acting the part of a stuffed animal.

Until told otherwise, they didn't want to advertise Guilmon's presence. The last thing they wanted was even more attention.

Hopefully, they will discharge me soon. I'm sick of hospitals.

Takato grimaced. He hadn't even lasted more than a day out of the hospital since he got to this new world. He didn't want to make a habit of it.

It didn't take long to interrogate the other thugs, and Tsukauchi revealed that Hirai had already spilled the beans. As expected, their statements matched their leader's.

"Hiding the boy's quirk will be close to impossible to do now," Aizawa remarked as they entered one of the hospital's conference rooms they borrowed for the moment. "Unless you fabricated the statements to exclude them."

"I won't do that. It's illegal, and you know it," Tsukauchi responded.

"That hasn't kept you from withholding other information important to the Fog Bank investigation," Aizawa countered, crossing his arms. "Don't think for a moment that I believe the story you told me before. There's more to this situation than you let on, but for whatever reason, you're not willing to divulge it. I can understand your reason for keeping Takato's quirk secret, but something tells me there's more going on. There has to be if you're willing to do something so unlike your normal actions."

Tsukauchi closed his eyes, his grip on his chair's armrest tightening. He had known it was a stretch to think the observant hero would believe the flimsy lie he'd come up with, even if Makoto had.

Neither he nor Takato considered the possibility of Guilmon's awakening happening the way it had. They had been woefully unprepared for the situation.

That shouldn't have been the case. Tsukauchi should've taken all possibilities into account, but…

"You're drowning," Aizawa surmised after a few moments of silent observation. "Whatever you're hiding must be big."

"You have no idea." Tsukauchi let out a shuddering breath, all of the weight that had piled onto his shoulders over the past few days difficult to handle. He'd kept a brave face for Takato, but trying to prove himself a suitable guardian and attempting to guide a failing search in the right direction while being unable to provide all of the information was more challenging than he'd initially expected. And if he felt this overwhelmed, he could only imagine how Takato must feel trapped in a world both similar and different from his own, away from everyone who loved him. That thought alone kept him going.

"Why aren't you told anyone? Why take on this burden if it's too much for you?"

"If I didn't, he would have to hold the weight of it alone," Tsukauchi glanced in the direction of Takato's hospital room with haunted eyes. "And he's been through enough as it is."

"What can he possibly be hiding that's so important?" Aizawa asked.

"The information he gave would spell disaster if it fell into the wrong hands. The world — this world — isn't ready for it."

"Then tell someone you can trust," Aizawa suggested, eyes sharpening.

"It's not my secret to tell," Tsukauchi responded. "I barely can grasp the entirety of it myself."

"Then convince him to share," Aizawa replied. "If whatever is going on is as big as you say it is, the two of you can't handle it by yourselves."

"Even if he agreed, who would believe what I have to say? If it hadn't been for my quirk, I wouldn't have believed it," Tsukauchi countered.

"I just learned that a preteen boy is the proddings mother of a huge dragon child. Try me," Aizawa shot back.

The memory of Takato's embarrassment over Guilmon's candid nature temporarily pushed Tsukauchi's anxiety aside, making him smile.

"I'll talk to him about it," Tsukauchi promised.

"Is there anything you can tell me now that wouldn't break his confidence?"

Tsukauchi bit his lip as he considered the subject. One of the most significant difficulties he'd faced was conveying the danger of Daemon's presence without adequate proof. Few people would believe him if he warned against an All Might-level threat, and even less would handle it in a way that wouldn't cause mass panic.

But Aizawa appeared more open-minded than most. Not only that, but his role in the investigation gave the underground hero every right to know what danger he was getting into.

"Don't underestimate Daemon," Tsukauchi advised Aizawa. "He's far more powerful than you can imagine, and conventional methods to subdue him may not work. I can't tell you why just yet, but be careful."

Aizawa narrowed his eyes.

"How dangerous do you believe him to be?"

Tsukauchi took a deep breath.

"At full strength, he could be as strong, if not stronger, then All Might."

Aizawa's eyes widened in disbelief, and he opened his mouth to say something before pausing as something came to mind.

"You said 'at full strength.' Does that mean he isn't at full strength right now?"

Tsukauchi nodded.

"According to what I've heard, Daemon was injured during Takato's escape. If he hadn't been weakened, he wouldn't have resorted to using a third party to attack Takato. He would have come after himself. He was there in the alley, after all."

Aizawa raised an eyebrow.

"Are you telling me that an eleven-year-old child's familiar was able to weaken a villain you claim can rival All Might in strength? There's no denying that Guilmon is strong, but I wouldn't say he's a match for All Might."

"Appearances can be deceiving," Tsukauchi responded, thinking of Gallantmon. "Takato's memories of his escape are still foggy. He remembers a fight, but not the outcome. It's unclear if Guilmon was the one who weakened Daemon or not, but Takato certainly didn't come out of it unscathed."

"No, he didn't," Aizawa conceded, eyes darkening, thinking of the pictures he'd seen of Takato's burns and lacerated back. "I'll be cautious and let Edgeshot know to do the same."

"Good. Daemon may also be harder to find than you think. He can change forms, and unfortunately, we don't know what those forms can be."

"That would explain why nobody saw anyone matching Daemon's description."

Tsukauchi nodded.

"And yet, Guilmon was able to detect his presence in the alley even when we couldn't," Aizawa frowned.

"His senses are likely superior to ours," Tsukauchi mused. "And unlike us, he's seen the villain before."

"I'll have to ask him about it the next time we meet," Aizawa decided as he stood. "I'll take my leave for now. I'll be waiting for your call."

Chapter Text

Makoto and Takato smiled widely at Tsukauchi as he entered the room.

Tsukauchi’s eyes fell on Gigimon and he couldn’t help but stare in fascination. Knowing Digimon could change form and seeing it for himself were two very different things. It was hard to think that the tiny four-legged ball turned into Guilmon. “He really looks like a baby now.”

“Isn’t he adorable?” Makoto gushed, watching from Takato and snuggling him. Gigimon simply giggled while Takato seemed put out at Makoto stealing his partner.

“I can’t argue with that,” Tsukauchi agreed. “What did I miss?”

He felt guilty that he’d passed some of the guardian responsibilities to Makoto. He should have been the one to attend to Takato now that he’d ended up in the hospital, but he had to do what was in his power to keep  Takato under the radar.  He had to nip any leak in the bud. Takato would understand, he was sure of it, but it left a bad taste in Tsukauchi’s mouth.

Takato fell into danger only a day after coming into Tsukauchi’s care. If his ability to be a proper guardian ever came into question, it wouldn’t be good.

Takato couldn’t fall into the wrong hands. There were too many people out there who would exploit the Tamer and his partner, on either side of the law.

“The doctor said Takato can be discharged home,” Makoto said as she returned Gigimon to Takato.

“Really?” Tsukkauchi gave Takato a quick look over. The boy had looked rough when Tsukauchi first saw him in the alley, but now, he barely had a scratch on him.

“Apparently, Takato’s quirk gifts him accelerated healing on top of everything. By the time the doctor examined him, the worst of his injuries already healed.”

“That’s good news,” Tsukauchi said, now knowing why Takato and Makoto had been in such good spirits. “At least you don’t have to spend another night in the hospital.”

“I’ve had my fill of hospitals for a lifetime,” Takato said with a grimace.

“You really weren’t kidding when you told me trouble always finds you. Two villains attacked in one day. I’m starting to think the best way to keep you safe is to lock you in a tower and throw away the key,” Tsukauchi remarked, winking to show a wide-eyed Takato that he wasn’t serious.

“Knowing my luck, that wouldn’t help,” Takato countered with an apologetic smile.

“You’re really not helping your case,” the detective stated, remembering that he still had to speak with Takato about how he fell for Daemon’s trap in the first place. He just had to find a way to do that without Makoto present.

His opening came in the guise of a loud growl.

All eyes fell on Gigimon, who glanced at Takato with wide, pleading eyes.

“I’m hungry, Takatomon…” he whined.

“It’s been forever since you ate, hasn’t it? Sorry, Gigimon, but I don’t have any food with me right now.”

“I can get some on the way home,” Makoto offered.

“That would be great. He likes bread.”

“Bread?” Makoto repeated, raising an eyebrow. Tsukauchi couldn’t blame her. From the look of Guilmon, both of them expected the Digimon would be decidedly carnivorous. Considering Takato grew up in a bakery, however, Tsukauchi could see how the Digimon developed his food preference.

“Guilmon eats just about anything,” Takato addended his statement. “Bread happens to be his favorite. His first meal was my parent’s day-old bread… All of it.”

“You better get a lot of food,” Tsukauchi told his sister, catching onto Takato’s hint about Guilmon’s voracious appetite. He had a feeling their food budget would take a hit from now on. “I’ll take Takato home.”

The amiable atmosphere between foster child and guardian dissolved once the two of them — Gigimon opted to go with Makoto for food — sat in Tsukauchi’s car.

“You had us worried,” Tsukauchi said, keeping his voice calm despite the multitude of emotions threatening to come out.

“I know… I’m sorry,” Takato replied softly, keeping his gaze on his hands.

“Why didn’t you head towards the police station when you were separated from Makoto? I know we discussed what you should do if you were ever separated from us. The alley we found you in was in the opposite direction.”

“I was planning on doing that,” Takato admitted.

“Then why didn’t you?” Tsukauchi made no move to drive them away from the hospital yet. He wanted them to have as much time for this conversation as needed without risking Makoto learning more than she needed to.

“My D-Arc suddenly picked up Daemon’s signal,” Takato said, fiddling with said device.

A chill ran down Tsukauchi’s spine even as he made a silent note to inquire about the D-Arc’s radar ability later. Daemon had been near Takato even before the attack… How long had he known Takato’s location?

A Digimon’s ability to manipulate all things digital was terrifying. He could have spied on Takato through various means: CCTV, phone cameras… the possibilities were endless and far from reassuring.

How can I protect this child from an enemy capable of being everywhere and nowhere at once?

“What did you do once you caught his signal?”

Takato hesitated, glancing at Tsukauchi surreptitiously before quickly averting his gaze.

“I followed it.”

Tsukauchi’s grip on the steering wheel tightened as his temper flared.

“And you didn’t think for one second that he could be leading you into a trap?”

Takato grit his teeth.

“I couldn’t sit around and do nothing. This was the first sign of Daemon we’ve had since coming here. I wasn’t about to let him get away.”

“What did you expect you could do even if you found him? Guilmon hadn’t awakened yet, and if Daemon isn’t as weak as we believe him to be currently, he could have killed you!”

“That doesn’t matter. I’d find a way to stop him,” Takato argued.

“How do you suppose you’d do that?”

“My Modify cards still work. I could have used them against him.”

“There’s no guarantee that would work. If the cards could have helped you beat Daemon, why didn’t you use them when you fought him in the first place?”

“Modify cards can’t be used when Guilmon becomes Gallantmon!”

Tsukauchi paused mid-retort as he fully processed those words.

“Why not?”

“My D-Arc disappears when he becomes a Mega.”

“Why?” Tsukauchi frowned. Modify cards proved to have a significant tactical advantage in battle if used right. It was strange that they would lose that particular skill when Guilmon went to Mega level.

“I don’t know.” Takato avoided Tsukauchi’s gaze, and the detective started to get a clue that Takato was hiding something from him. He wanted to pursue the topic but realized that if he did so, he’d lose his original line of questioning.

“What makes you think you could beat Daemon with the cards when you failed to beat four humans with them?”

A metallic scent filled the air, and Tsukauchi frowned, turning towards Takato. His frown deepened at the blood pooling at the edges of Takato’s trembling, tightly clenched fists.

Unnervingly unbothered by the pain, Takato unfurled his hands, revealing blood-tinged claws and a series of crescent-shaped wounds in his palms.

Hissing, Tsukauchi grabbed napkins he kept in his center console and pressed them against the boy’s hands to stem the flow. It seemed that the influence of Takato and Guilmon’s merger remained even if the Digimon wasn’t present.

He made a move to take Takato back inside, but the Tamer stopped him.

“I’m not going back to the hospital. The cuts will heal on their own.”

Tsukauchi debated on whatever possessed him to think his foster child was sweet when it turned out that the boy was stubborn enough to make Tsukauchi pull his hair out.

Brown eyes glowered at red as the two engaged in a silent battle of wills until Tsukauchi finally conceded. He was starting to see how Takato molded a secret government association to his will. There was no shaking him once he set his heart on something.

That didn’t mean Tsukauchi wouldn’t do his best to protect the boy, even from himself.

“We’ll dress it when we get home. Keep pressure on it for now.” Tsukauchi pulled out of the hospital parking lot, not wanting to delay Takato’s treatment even further. He didn't know what demons plagued Takato’s mind at the moment, but now wasn't the time to pressure him about it.

After a few awkward moments of silence, Tsukauchi spoke again.

“You never answered my question.”

Takato murmured so softly that Tsukauchi missed everything he said.

“I didn’t hear that. Repeat it. Louder this time.”

“I could have beat the humans if I wanted to. I had the cards to do so, but killing humans is the last thing I want to do.”

Tsukauchi turned towards Takato. The way the boy said ‘humans’ was odd like the boy didn’t see himself as human.

Maybe it’s a residual effect of Guilmon being inside of him.

The detective chose not to confront Takato about that. He had a more pressing concern.

“What did you expect to do when you found Daemon?”

“I’d stop him. No matter the cost.”

“You could have died. You nearly did. Why are you so willing to put yourself at risk when there are others better equipped to handle the situation?”

“I’m the one who brought him to this world. He’s my responsibility. You have no idea what a Mega-level Digimon is capable of. The longer he goes unfound, the stronger and more dangerous he’ll become. Every life lost at his hands would be my fault.”

Tsukauchi cursed himself for underestimating the level of personal responsibility Takato felt over the situation. Takato’s feelings couldn’t be left unaddressed, or they would fester.

“It wouldn’t be your fault. It would be Daemon’s,” Tsukauchi responded. “I agree that as we are now, we are woefully unprepared for a threat of Daemon’s level, but we can remedy that without you throwing yourself into danger. You’re not alone, Takato. I promised that I would help you, but you need to let me.”

“I know… it’s just hard.”

Tsukauchi could understand Takato’s feelings. If Tsukauchi felt stifled by the new world he was introduced to, Takato must be drowning under it and clinging to what he knew, and what little control he had was Takato’s way of coping. Tsukauchi would have to find a manner in which Takato could express that less destructively.

Tsukauchi thought of Aizawa’s offer, coming to a decision.

“I think we need to bring someone else into the fold.”

Takato finally turned towards Tsukauchi, eyes wide in surprise.

“I thought you said we needed to be careful letting anyone else know about the Digital World.”

“I stand by those words,” Tsukauchi said. “But now that we’ve confirmed Daemon’s presence in this world, the need to address the threat properly supersedes our need for secrecy. I’m not saying that we need to tell everyone. Only a few select people we can trust.”

“Like who?”

“Eraser Head.”

“Why him?”

“He already knows that we’re hiding something. He’s more observant than he looks. On top of that, he’s discrete. Most importantly, he can be trusted. As one of the two heroes in charge of searching for Daemon, it would be best to bring him in the loop.”

Takato was silent for a few moments before he finally nodded.

“He seems like a good guy. If you think he can help, I’ll trust your judgment.”

Tsukauchi sighed in relief. He’d expected Takato to put up more of a fight but was pleasantly surprised when the boy didn’t.

“I’m tired of fighting, aren’t you?” Takato asked.

“Yeah,” Tsukauchi agreed, all of the tension pouring out of him as they finally reached home. He would reach out to Aizawa to let him know that Takato agreed and arrange a time for them all to sit down and get the story straight, particularly before Aizawa had to turn in his report. In the meantime, he had more of a more immediate concern to deal with. “Let’s get you patched up. Again.”

Chapter Text

"What's going on here?"

Aizawa raised an eyebrow at the police officers surrounding Takato, enthusiastically chatting away. Occasionally, someone would break away while happily munching on a pastry, and another officer quickly took their place.

Tsukauchi chuckled as he observed his charge from a safe distance.

"Takato couldn't sleep last night, so he decided to go into a baking frenzy instead. There was no way we'd be able to eat everything he made, so we brought it here."

"I would have," Gigimon piped up, ears drooping forlornly.

Aizawa glanced down, noticing the small Digimon tucked under the detective's arm.

"Takato found a way to make him smaller," Tsukauchi answered the silent question before addressing the Digimon. "You probably could eat it all, but you already had six loaves of bread all on your own. Let others have a turn."

Digimon looked thoughtful before nodding in understanding.

"That's fair."

"Good boy."

"You got used to him fast," Aizawa remarked as he leaned back against Tsukauchi's desk, waiting for Takato to escape his new fans.

"It's not that hard once you get past his appearance," Tsukauchi responded before his attention shifted to the large police officer approaching them, holding a croissant in one hand and using his other hand to guide Takato forward.

"You need to adopt this kid, Tsukauchi. He's great," the man said once he swallowed his mouthful. "If you don't, I will."

"I don't plan on relinquishing my guardianship any time soon," Tsukauchi responded as Gigimon hopped from his grasp to Takato's. The boy had to juggle the Digimon and the small basket in his hands, but he managed to keep hold of both as he tucked himself against Tsukauchi's side, clearly worn out from the unexpected attention he'd received when the hungry officers swarmed him.

The other officer grinned at Tsukauchi before ruffling Takato's hair, laughing at the boy's affronted yelp.

"Come back with more goodies one day, okay, kid?"

"I will," Takato readily agreed as he fixed his displaced goggles back onto his head.

Aizawa couldn't help but stare at the odd fashion item. The lenses were cracked, the frames dented and stained with dried blood. He wondered why the boy continued to wear them despite their poor condition.

"Hello," Takato greeted him shyly.

Aizawa nodded in acknowledgment, glancing at the basket in Takato's hands.

"What do you have there?"

Takato's eyes widened as he looked down at what he'd forgotten about. He held it up towards Aizawa.

"For you."

Raising an eyebrow, Aizawa peeled the cover off and eyed the pastries before looking back towards Takato.

"A bribe?" He asked dryly. The boy flinched and shook his head.

"I- I wouldn't," Takato insisted, meeting Aizawa's eyes straight on before looking away, flushing. "It's a thank you gift for saving me last night."

"It's not like I did much," Aizawa replied, given Guilmon had done most of the hard work. He couldn't advertise that particular fact just yet.

"Still…" Takato insisted, pushing the basket into Aizawa's grasp.

Aizawa opened his mouth to argue further, but he was interrupted.

"You might as well give in. Takato won't relent. He's stubborn. Too stubborn." Tsukauchi looked far more exhausted than he should. "Don't let his sweet, innocent nature fool you. It's a trap."

The guilty glance Takato sent Tsukauchi's way made Aizawa wonder what transpired between them, but now wasn't the time to pry.

"You asked me here for a reason, Tsukauchi," Aizawa reminded the detective.

"Right." Tsukauchi and Takato shared a look before nodding at each other. "Follow me."

"We won't have to worry about being overheard here. I've made sure it was secure," Tsukauchi advised as they all sat down in a conference room far from the peak activity sites in the police station. "There are no cameras either."

"Good." Aizawa nodded in satisfaction and sat down.

Gigimon leaped out of Takato's hands, glowing bright red as he digivolved to Guilmon, grinning as he plopped into a chair across from Aizawa. Around them, the lights flickered, and the digital clock seemed to fritz out for a few moments before normalizing.

The underground hero's eyes flitted between the light fading from the D-Arc's screen and the dimming red glow from Takato's Zero Unit tattoos.

"The same thing happened last night when you transformed," Aizawa remarked. "What exactly does that mean? Given your lack of hesitation in showing me, I take it that means you're ready to tell me the truth."

Takato nodded. He placed his D-Arc on the table.

"What you witnessed was Digimon digivolving into Guilmon," Takato explained. "This device, my D-Arc, helps him do that."

Aizawa frowned.

"What do you mean by 'digivolving?'"

"Digivolution is the process in which Guilmon evolves into more powerful forms."

Aizawa turned his attention to Guilmon.

"You can evolve? Wait… more powerful forms, as in plural. Does that mean you can become more powerful than you are right now?"

Guilmon nodded.

"I can explain that later, but everything would make more sense if I told you the story from the beginning," Takato replied.

"That would help," Aizawa conceded. "So are you going to tell me now that you never lost your memory and you lied about being quirkiness despite knowing otherwise?"

Takato shook his head and started speaking before Aizawa could argue further.

"I won't deny that I deliberately hid things, but I didn't lie about being quirkless. I don't have a quirk."

"Bullshit," Aizawa spat as he stood up. "If you're going to waste my time with a weak excuse, I might as well leave right now."

"Sit down."

Takato and Guilmon's resonated together in perfect harmony, a strange weight behind their words.

Aizawa stopped short, meeting the serious gazes of the no longer smiling Tamer-Digimon duo. They exuded a foreboding pressure, making Aizawa feel as if they were somehow bigger than they were and that he spoke to one being, not two separate individuals.

He's not an ordinary kid.

Aizawa shared a glance at an equally stunned Tsukauchi before they simultaneously sat down, obeying a child's order.

Once regaining his wits, Tsukauchi cleared his throat.

"I know you're confused, Eraser Head, but please let Takato explain. It will make sense once he finishes."

"Very well. I'm listening," Aizawa said, crossing his arms.

"I don't have a quirk," Takato repeated. "Because the world I come from doesn't have quirks."

Aizawa's eyes widened, but this time, he made no move to counter Takato's words as he remembered something.

"The information he gave would spell disaster if it fell into the wrong hands. The world — this world — isn't ready for it."

Aizawa had thought Tsukauchi's wording odd the night before, but maybe there was more to it than he'd initially thought.

"The Fog Banks…"

Takato was first found on the day the fog banks appeared. The police believed the fog banks were a byproduct of Takato's escape from Daemon and that the villain was responsible for eliminating all records of Takato's existence. If Takato came from an entirely different world, he would have no documents in this world to begin with.

"The Fog Banks are Digital Fields. They appear when Digimon cross over from the Digital World into the Real World. That's how Guilmon, Daemon, and I first arrived in this world," Takato explained.

"Digimon? Digital World? What do you mean by that?"

"I'm a Digimon," Guilmon piped up. "Short for Digital Monster."

"Digimon are artificial life forms made of data. The Digital World is where they live; a world that runs parallel to this one."

"And you were in that world? How did you end up there? Don't tell me you're one of these 'Digimon.'"

Takato shook his head.

"I'm not a Digimon. I'm as human as you are. Guilmon and I ended up trapped in the Digital World through a series of unfortunate circumstances. We'll get to that part later in the story."

So far, all Aizawa had were more questions. He chose to stay silent and let Takato speak. Otherwise, he had a feeling he would only get more confused.

"In my world, Digimon were thought to be nothing more than characters of a popular TV show and card game. No one knew that the show was based on a college research project intended to create artificial intelligence. Although the research project was forcibly ended through lack of funding, the Digimon created through the project continued to evolve further than even their creators could imagine."

"So you weren't the one to create Guilmon." Aizawa frowned, wondering how much of what Takato told him the night before was a lie. He hadn't sensed any deceit in the boy's words.

"No, I didn't create Digimon, but that doesn't mean I didn't create Guilmon," Takato said. "I was a fan of the Digimon franchise, and despite knowing it was all make-believe, I dreamed of having my own Digimon partner. That's why I drew Guilmon in the first place."

"How did you create him?"

"Earlier, on the same day, I found a strange blue card," Takato said, pulling a card out which glowed before turning a vibrant blue. He put the card down and put his D-Arc beside it. "I slashed the card through my card reader, causing it to fritz out. When I checked on it later, both the Blue card and the card reader were gone. My D-Arc was in their place."

Aizawa picked up the digivice and examined it.

"What is this?"

"A digivice. It represents the connection between a Tamer and their partnered Digimon. As I mentioned earlier, it allows the Digimon to become stronger and evolve to higher forms."

"How did you find the Blue card?"

"I don't know," Takato admitted. "It was just there."

"And you decided to use it without questioning it?"

Takato scratched the back of his neck, grinning sheepishly.

"It seemed like a good idea at the time."

Aizawa and Tsukauchi shared commiserating looks. A child's lack of self-preservation was often a hero's worst nightmare.

"Two other kids found Blue Cards in similar fashions," Takato said. "Each of our circumstances was different, but we later came to realize the Blue card appeared in front of us because of our shared desire."

"What's that?"

"We all wanted a Digimon partner of our own. The Blue card made it possible."

"Did they all create their own Digimon?"

Takato shook his head.

"Their partners already existed. The Blue card helped create the bridge allowing them to cross over into the Real World."

"So then, how did Guilmon come to life?"

"I slashed my drawing of him through my D-Arc's card slot."

"Why?"

"It made sense," Takato shrugged. "Guilmon's DigiEgg formed right after, and he was born the next day."

"How long ago was this… I think."

"What do you mean, 'you think?'"

"I lost track of time when we got trapped in the Digital World."

"How did you get trapped there?"

"My friends and I were fighting off an invasion of parasitic Digimon that came through a giant portal. We managed to stop them, but in the process of destroying the portal, Guilmon and I ended up on the other side of it."

Aizawa took a moment to process that before he stood up abruptly.

"Wait… you were fighting the Digimon?"

Aizawa glanced over at Tsukauchi to make sure he'd heard right. The detective's miserable look was answer enough.

"We're Digimon Tamers. Fighting rogue Digimon that entered our world was what we did. It's not like we had heroes who could fight for us."

"What about the military?"

"They tried… and failed. Digimon are near impossible to beat through conventional means. Our partners were the only ones who stood a chance."

"So everyone stood back and let children do an adult's job?"

Takato knew Eraser Head had every right to be stunned over children fighting an adult's battle, but those beliefs were starting to wear on his patience.

His age was just a number. He'd seen things people only dreamed of and did things most would never manage to do in their lifetimes.

His kill count alone…

Takato grit his teeth as he pushed the unwanted thought from his mind. He did not regret his actions, knowing the consequences to innocent life would be worse if he hadn't, but taking a life was not easy. He wouldn't wish that burden on anyone.

He redirected his attention to Eraser Head, who still awaited his response.

"In a quirkless world, we were the closest thing to heroes they had. If we cowered away and left everything to the adults, we would have no world left to save."

Eraser Head opened his mouth but paused as he studied Takato's expression.

"You've been through a lot, haven't you?"

"You have no idea."

"I'd like to, if you'd let me," the hero said, softening his approach.

Takato nodded in acceptance and began his story anew.

Chapter Text

Aizawa chose to withhold further questions until later, knowing that if he continued to indulge his curiosity before Takato finished his story, they wouldn't have the chance to go through everything he needed to know. The debrief could only go on for so long without drawing suspicion.

Instead, whenever a question came to mind, he'd write them down. If Takato answered any during his tale, he checked them off.

As he learned more, the underground hero began to understand what Takato went through and why he seemed so haunted.

Despite his young age, Takato was no stranger to war. He experienced things that not even the most seasoned heroes did. To treat him like a helpless child would be nothing short of an insult.

No wonder he was so annoyed.

As Takato gulped down half of a bottle of water, Aizawa reviewed his remaining questions to see where to start.

"Can you explain the levels again?"

Takato nodded, pulling a few cards out of his deck and laying them out in front of Aizawa.

"This is Guilmon's Digivolution line. Starting at the Baby stage, we have Jyarimon," Takato said, pointing at the red ball-shaped creature.

Aizawa picked up the card and glanced at Guilmon.

"Cute. You were born this way?"

Guilmon shook his head.

"Guilomon was born as a Rookie," Takato explained. "… Probably because I didn't create a Baby or In-Training form for him at the time."

"I see. So that would make Gigimon his In-Training Form."

"Right," Takato agreed. "At the Baby and In-Training forms, Digimon are at their most vulnerable. Their skills up to this point are directed more towards defense versus offense. Once they reach Rookie level, they are better able to protect themselves and gain their offensive capabilities."

"How strong can a Rookie Digimon be?"

"It depends on the Digimon. Guilmon is a relatively powerful Rookie, but I've seen Rookies both weaker and stronger than him. You'll find now and then that there'll be a Digimon capable of defying normal level constraints. It also depends on whether or not they have a Type advantage against whatever Digimon they fight against."

"Type advantage? What do you mean by that?" Tsukauchi asked.

"Digimon are not only categorized by level or element, but by Type as well. There are three types: Data, Virus, and Vaccine. Data types are vulnerable against Virus, which are weak against Vaccine. Vaccine types are at a disadvantage against Data types."

"Where do Guilmon and Daemon fall based on those categories?" Tsukauchi asked.

"Both are Virus types," Takato said.

Tsukauchi glanced towards Guilmon, surprised by that fact.

"Wouldn't Virus types be bad? Guilmon doesn't look to be that way."

"You would think that all Virus types are bad, but there are exceptions to that rule, such as Guilmon. Guilmon still has Viral tendencies, though."

"What does that mean?" Aizawa asked.

"They come out mostly in battle," Takato said. "He tends to go feral when faced with a threat, and he's harder to control during those times. He's gotten better with that, though."

"That would explain his change of personality last night," Aizawa mused, thinking back to the growling monster he first witnessed. He thought back to Guilmon's battle capabilities. While the Digimon had been careful to avoid direct contact with his human opponents, he could easily have defeated all four quirked enemies. The goons, even with their vicious quirks, were relatively untrained. It would be hard to gauge how Guilmon would fare against more skilled opponents at Rookie level without understanding his fun capabilities, especially outside Takato's body.

Come to think of it…

Aizawa made a note to ask Takato about their separation. It was unclear whether or not the Tamer and Digimon were permanently separated. They would have to explore Takato and Guilmon's condition more carefully. He wrote Present Mic's name beside the note. His long-time friend may help Aizawa get an audience with UA's principal, Nedzu.

This situation was more extensive than Aizawa imagined, and he now understood why Tsukauchi struggled with it.

In the meantime, he refocused on Takato's explanation about Digivolution.

"Guilmon digivolves to his Champion level, Growlmon, next," Takato said, handing the card to Aizawa.

"He's big," Aizawa mused. "Do all Digimon get bigger every time they digivolve?"

"Not always. Size doesn't matter when it comes to a Digimon's strength. Guilmon does get bigger at his Ultimate level," Takato began as he showed WarGrowlmon's card. "But his Mega form — or rather, one of his Mega forms — is smaller."

Aizawa whistled as he scanned Gallantmon's card.

"Very impressive."

"Thank you," Takato and Guilmon said together.

Takato blushed when Aizawa and Tsukauchi raised their eyebrows, not expecting him to respond to a compliment meant for Guilmon.

Aizawa was tempted to ask Takato more about his reaction, but then he remembered what Takato had said.

"What do you mean 'one of his Mega forms?'"

Takato bit his lip, clearly conflicted.

"You don't have to say anything you're not comfortable with," Tsukauchi said, catching onto Takato's thoughts.

Takato stared at him and then at Guilmon before refocusing on Aizawa.

"Guilmon has at least one other Mega form that I'm aware of," Takato admitted. "A Digimon's evolution line isn't set in stone. It can change at any time, depending on the circumstances."

"Does that mean Daemon may evolve differently?" Aizawa asked.

"It's possible," Takato admitted. "We don't know what level he regressed to nor what form he's taken. Based on what Guilmon sensed yesterday, my best guess is that he's lower than Rookie level right now."

"Wouldn't that mean he's vulnerable right now?"

"Yes and now. Daemon may not have his offensive abilities at lower levels, but that does not mean he's helpless. A Digimon can hide anywhere and, at lower levels, it's even easier. Not only that but Daemon's one of the most powerful of the Seven Demon Lords for a reason. Even at his weakest, he'll find a way to remain a threat."

"We already know he's watching you," Tsukauchi said.

"Digimon are capable of manipulating anything that uses data. Without proper Firewalls in place, Daemon could get into anything."

"Then we'll have to take appropriate measures against him. Otherwise, there would be no hiding you from him unless we locked you away in a place where there's no technological access, and that's not a viable option."

"No matter how tempting of an option it would be to keep you out of trouble," Tsukauchi muttered under his breath, unrepentant when Takato glowered at him.

"I don't need to be hidden away," Takato argued.

"Daemon may be weakened, but so are you. The difference is that he's found ways to come after you even in that state. Keeping you safe is more important than you realize. In the end, as much as I don't like the thought of it, you and Guilmon have the best chance of defeating Daemon in the long run. If we lose you, we may lose our greatest hope against him," Aizawa pointed out. It was a cold move to speak of the Tamer-Digimon duo as a weapon to be used. Still, he knew the boy would understand the importance of keeping a low profile better when thinking of the situation along those lines over the need to protect him just for the sake of protecting him.

Takato clenched his teeth and glanced away, He muttered to himself, but all Aizawa could pick up was:

"… just like with the D-Reaper."

A few uncomfortable moments of silence passed before Aizawa chose to speak again.

"If Daemon is capable of manipulating data, wouldn't that mean Guilmon can do that as well?"

"Probably, but we've never tried," Takato said. "Our friend, Henry, is the more tech-savvy Tamer in our group. Even if he could, Guilmon wouldn't do anything bad, I promise!" The boy's eyes widened as panicked thoughts started to plague him.

"I'm not concerned about that," the underground hero replied. He'd seen enough of Guilmo now to know that the Digimon cared little for anything but food, playing and protecting his Tamer. "To build proper Firewalls, we'll need to know what we're up against. Guilmon could help test the Firewalls to create appropriate countermeasures against Daemon."

"I'll do my best to help in whatever way I can," Guilmon promised.

"We'll still have to be careful to prevent people from knowing about Digimon," Tsukauchi reminded them.

"We can explain his presence as part of Takato's quirk," Aizawa replied. "Just as you led me to believe yesterday, but instead of putting the attention on Takato's ability to create life, we direct attention towards his ability to manipulate data. It will not only explain Guilmon's presence but also the effect of Takato's modify cards."

"That could work," Tsukauchi conceded while turning to Takato and Guilmon. "What do you think?"

"Sounds good to us," the duo chorused.

"What would you call your quirk?"

Takato remained silent for a few minutes before grimacing.

"I'll have to think on it."

"Fair enough. You have time," the detective replied.

"Getting back on topic," Aizawa interjected. "Although Daemon's evolution line may remain a mystery, do you think you could predict his possible forms?"

"I can try, but it may take a while, especially if you want me to draw them out," Takato said.

"That's fine. Just do your best. Any information we can get, the better," Aizawa glanced down at his list of questions and moved on to the next one. "Who are the Seven Demon Lords?"

"They're a group of the most powerful dark Digimon in existence, each representing one of the seven sins. Daemon represents Wrath. According to the other Royal Knights, he is the second most powerful and the de facto leader when Lucemon, the actual leader, isn't around… which is most of the time."

"That… doesn't sound good for us." Aizawa grimaced, finally understanding the gravity of the threat. "Gallantmon is one of the Royal Knights, right? He managed to weaken Daemon during the fight that led to you all arriving here."

Takato's expression darkened.

"The Royal Knights are the natural enemies of the Demon Lords and the ones who harbor the best chance of defeating the. The Gallantmon that preceded us was the third most powerful Royal Knight, only weaker than the co-leaders, Alphamon and Omnimon. But our Gallantmon isn't up to that level yet. We lack the experience that the other Digimon possess. I'm afraid that, as we are now, we didn't fare well against Daemon during that fight. Looking back at it now, if Daemon wanted us dead, he could have done so easily. Instead, he toyed with us."

Takato shuddered and reached a hand towards his back as if trying to hold something that was no longer there.

Aizawa thought of the scars on Takato's backs and winced.

"If he didn't want you dead, what did he want?"

"I don't know." Takato's brow furrowed as he thought over his encounter with the Demon Lord. "I've gone over my memories several times now, and I still don't know why he chose to target me."

"You've had a lot happen in a short time. Trying to piece things together in the middle of adapting to a new world can't be easy. Try to make a note of everything you remember. We can try to go through it later to help you put together what you may have missed," Tsukauchi advised.

Takato accepted the advice gratefully, glad to not have to try to force everything out at once.

Aizawa could see the exhaustion in Takato's eyes and remembered that the boy hadn't had any sleep the night before. It was time they started bringing the conversation to a close for the time being, but he still had a few questions for the boy.

"How are you feeling now that Guilmon is out of your body? Like your normal self?"

"Actually, no," Takato said as he inspected his own hands. "Despite Guilmon having his own body again, I still feel like we're fused somehow."

"He manifested claws last night as well when Guilmon wasn't with him," Tsukauchi said. "Your data still be mixed up somehow."

Aizawa frowned.

"Strange. Could you show me?"

"I'll try," Takato said, holding his hands out. He scrunched his nose in concentration and frowned when nothing happened. "That's weird. It happened so naturally yesterday,"

"How did it happen yesterday?" Aizawa asked.

"Honestly, I'm not entirely sure. I remember getting upset, and then… the next thing I know, I had claws stabbing into my hand."

Aizawa glanced at the boy's hands, which bore no mark of any injury.

"The wounds were gone this morning when I checked on them," Tsukauchi explained.

"Maybe it was a one-time thing," Takato suggested.

"It could be, but maybe not," Aizawa countered. "Walk me through what you just tried to do."

Takato scratched his cheek, feeling a little silly.

"I tried to imagine my fingers turning into claws. I thought it might be like when —" Takato broke off as he seemed to catch himself about to say something he didn't want to share. "Never mind."

"What were you about to say?" Tsukauchi asked.

"It's nothing," Takato hedged.

"You're lying," Tsukauchi said, crossing his arms and frowning. Takato pleaded silently for the detective to let it go, but, this time, Tsukauchi won their silent battle.

Takato's shoulders sagged.

"I thought it may be like when Gallantmon turns his arm into a lance," he finally admitted.

"Was that hard to say?" Tsukauchi asked, not understanding the reason behind Takato's reticence. This time, the boy just shrugged.

Aizawa and Tsukauchi shared a look. Takato had been forthcoming about most of what they asked him, but there was always something strange about how he spoke of Guilmon's Mega form. He was hiding something, but he didn't seem willing to share that with them for the time being. They could push him for answers, but Aizawa felt that it might be detrimental to their ongoing cooperation for the time being. They could always address it later.

"If we consider this like how others activate their quirk, then often, directing a quirk to activate only in a specific part of the body could be difficult. Try focusing on spreading the change across your body," Aizawa advised.

Takato didn't look convinced that the suggestion would work but did as Aizawa told him.

Seconds later, red, black, and white scales spread across his body in patches, mostly centered around his eyes, neck, chest, forearms, and hands. His fingers curved and lengthened into raptor claws, and tearing cloth proved that the same had happened to his toes. When he carefully lifted his pant legs, he noticed the scales scattered across his shins. Takato's brown hair gained silver-white highlights, and although his eyes remained red, they were reptilian.

The transformation wasn't as complete as what Aizawa and Tsukauchi witnessed the night before, but that was likely due to Guilmon being outside Takato's body.

"This is weird," Takato decided, studying himself in the camera Tsukauchi held up as a make-shift mirror for the boy.

"It looks like your fusion has had more lasting effects on your body than previously imagined," Aizawa mused.

"No kidding. Can I change back?"

"You should be able to. It went away last night easily enough. Try willing it away," Tsukauchi suggested.

"Okay." Takato closed his eyes to do just that when Aizawa stopped him.

"There's something I want to check out," the hero said. "My quirk allows me to erase the effect of others' quirks. If you will allow me, I wanted to see if it would affect you in this current form."

"It won't hurt, will it?"

"It shouldn't.

"Then go ahead."

Aizawa's eyes flashed red as his hair rose in response to his quirk activation. Just as he predicted, Takato's transformation slowly vanished, allowing him to regain his natural form again.

"Wow. That's kind of cool," Takato said, more interested in Aizawa's quirk than his returning to normal.

"The villains I fight would disagree," Aizawa replied with a shrug.

"Does your quirk work on everyone?" Takato asked.

"No. Unfortunately not. Those with Mutation-type quirks would be unaffected by my quirk; that ogre from last night is a good example."

"Is the effect permanent?" Takato asked, glancing at himself worriedly.

"No, it's not. Don't worry. You should be able to use that form again if you wanted to," Aizawa replied, chuckling at the boy's evident concern over losing his newfound abilities.

"Does your quirk give you any kind of offensive capabilities?"

"You're more curious than I'd originally imagined," the underground hero commented, and Takato blushed.

"Sorry. You're the first hero I've met, and well… I have so many questions."

"There's no need to apologize. It's only fair that you get the chance to ask a few questions after I bombarded you. As for what you asked, no, my quirk doesn't. All of my offensive abilities are all me, not my quirk."

Takato whistled.

"So your quirk helps you level the playing field against your enemies."

"Pretty much."

"I kind of want to see you fight now," Takato admitted. "Not that I want a villain to attack or anything, but well, you know what I mean."

"I'm sure we can arrange something," Aizawa remarked. "I want to get an idea of your and Guilmon's capabilities eventually. If your guardian would allow it, we could arrange a spar at some point."

Now Takato's eyes sparkled with excitement, as did Guilmon's. They both turned to Tsukauchi so fast that Aizawa was surprised they didn't end up with whiplash.

"Can we?"

Tsukauchi looked reluctant at first, but he caved under the duo's combined puppy dog eyes.

"We'll arrange something some time soon. After everything settles down."

The sound of their cheers nearly overrode the room's soundproofing.

Chapter Text

The meeting between Eraser Head, Tsukauchi, Takato, and Guilmon soon came to a close, but Eraser Head suddenly paused when they were about to leave.

“I don’t have to remind you two to avoid unnecessary heroics, do I?” The underground looked between Takato and the now devolved Gigimon, awaiting their response.

“We’ll try,” Takato reluctantly replied. He couldn’t promise anything more than that. He had his unfortunate penchant for finding trouble to worry about, and Guilmon wasn’t the easiest to control when faced with a threat.

“But what if Takato’s in danger?” Gigimon asked, frowning. Nothing would stop him from achieving his primary purpose.

“Focus your attention on removing your Tamer from the danger instead,” Eraser Head advised.

“I can do that,” Gigimon chirped, glad to find a solution to what he’d perceived to be an impossible situation.

“Good boy,” Aizawa smirked and patted the small Digimon on the head, earning a pleased giggle.

“Traitor,” Takato muttered under his breath, even though he didn’t mean it.

“I plan to reach out to some of my colleagues at UA,” Eraser Head continued. “And I’ll warn Edgeshot about the threat too. I won’t share more than what’s necessary, but there are people at UA I believe that can help us.”

“If you think so, go ahead,” Takato conceded.

“I’ll reach out once I have any updates,” Eraser Head promised. “I expect you to do the same.”

“Of course,” Tsukauchi agreed before they went their separate ways.

Now alone, Tsukauchi turned his attention to Takato.

“You have two options. You can give your final statement about the Fog Bank incidents and last night’s attack, or I can call Makoto to pick you up and bring you home.”

The Tamer was tempted to take Tsukauchi’s offer and leave the police station, but at the same time, he wanted to put everything behind him. He wouldn’t be able to fully settle into his new surroundings with all that hung over him.

Sleep would only bring nightmares he preferred to avoid.

“I’ll give my statement now,” Takato decided.

“Are you sure?” Tsukauchi asked, concerned. “You’ve barely had a moment to rest since you left the hospital the first time.”

“I’ll rest afterward,” Takato insisted, adjusting his weakening hold on Gigimon.

“Fine, but I’m sending you home right after, and you better sleep,” Tsukauchi warned.

“I will,” Takato promised.

“I’ll find Tanuma and be right back,” Tsukauchi said as he left Takato at his desk.

Takato waited patiently, occasionally thanking passing officers who complimented his baking.

The peaceful atmosphere nearly lulled Takato into slumber until a hysterical yell pierced the air.

He startled awake and stumbled away from where he leaned against Tsukauchi’s desk. His clumsiness landed him right in the path of the crying woman storming away, causing them to collide with a loud and painful thud.

“Ow…”

Groaning, Takato quickly recovered his whining partner from where he’d dropped him and turned his attention to who he’d crashed into.

“I’m sorry.”

“No, I’m sorry,” the white-haired woman said, wiping at her red, puffy eyes. “I didn’t watch where I was going. Are you okay?”

“I’m fine,” Takato reassured her. “I’m sturdier than I look. Are you okay?”

Before walking away, the woman could only give him a weak, watery smile.

Takato watched her go in concern. He caught sight of something in the corner of his eye, and he glanced down.

A picture of a teenager with spiky white hair, pale skin, and bright blue eyes lay on the ground. He looked only a few years older than Takato, but given his resemblance to the woman who’d just left, Takato assumed it was her son.

Picking the picture up, Takato debated only for a second before chasing after the woman.

He caught up to her right outside of the police station.

“Wait!” He called out to her before she could get too far.

She turned to him, confusion evident in her eyes.

“You dropped this,” he said as he approached her, holding out the photo.

“Oh.” Her eyes widened as she reclaimed what she’d lost. She cradled it close to her as it was her most precious belonging. “Thank you.”

“I figured it was important. Is he your son?” Takato asked, his curiosity getting the better of him.

The woman nodded, her tears beginning anew.

“I-I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to make you cry!” He exclaimed in a panic. She held her hand up to reassure him.

“It’s not you. Don’t worry.”

“What’s wrong?”

“My son… he’s missing.”

“I’m sorry. What happened? If you don’t mind me asking, that is.”

“He got the results of his Entrance exam into UA y yesterday. He failed. He was so upset. I’ve never seen him that way. I tried to comfort him, but he wasn’t having it. He stormed out of the house and didn’t answer my calls. I checked with his friends, but they had neither seen nor heard from him. I checked all of his normal hangout areas, but he wasn’t there.”

“I’m sure he’ll show up eventually. How long has it been since he went missing?” Takato asked, silently wondering how devastating it was when someone failed to get into the hero school of their choice. Makoto told him how many kids dreamed of becoming heroes. What happened to those whose dreams were crushed?

“Sixteen hours. The police can’t do anything until twenty-four hours have passed, but I know my son. Something’s wrong.”

“I’m sorry.” Takato frowned. “I wish I could do something to help you.”

He was tempted to offer Guilmon’s assistance with hunting her son by scent, but that would be the opposite of laying low. He’d already got himself in enough trouble. Disobeying Tsukauchi more than he already had wasn’t a good idea.

As it was, the woman didn’t think he was capable of helping as she smiled sadly and stroked his hair. He tried not to revel in the feeling of maternal affection that he’d missed for so long.

“You’re such a kind child, but there’s nothing you can do. Thank you for listening,” she said before she walked away.

“W-wait!” Takato called out, causing her to pause again. “What’s your son’s name? If I see him, I’ll let him know you’re worried about him.”

“You won’t,” she said with conviction. “My son’s quirk allows him to become anyone he wants to be. If he doesn’t want to be found, he won’t be but thank you for your consideration. My son’s name is Saiba Neo.”

Takato watched her go, fighting the feeling that he should be able to do more to help her. He was so caught up in his thoughts; he barely noticed the heavy footsteps approaching him until an arm wrapped around his waist and lifted him straight off of his feet.

He yelped in alarm, barely keeping hold of Gigimon in his surprise. The only reason he didn’t immediately go into battle mode was that he recognized the scent of who grabbed him.

“Can’t you stay put for once?” Tsukauchi griped as he carried the protesting preteen under his arm like an American football.

Takato flushed as the once-quiet police station erupted into hoots and hollers, citing Tsukauchi as an overprotective father.

“I can walk,” he said weakly, starting to squirm in his guardian’s grasp.

“You can,” Tsukauchi agreed. “But can I trust that you won’t wander off again?”

“I didn’t mean to. I was returning something that the lady dropped. I was going to come right back.”

Shaking his head with an exasperated sigh, Tsukauchi put Takato down.

“You’ve become more overprotective overnight, Tsukauchi,” Tanuma remarked with a chuckle as he approached them. “I don’t think I ever saw you run as fast as you did when you saw the boy wasn’t where you left him.”

“Can. You blame me after what happened last night?”

“No, I suppose I can’t,” Tanuma agreed before glancing down at a flustered Takato. “Are you ready to update your statement, young man?”

Takato nodded and followed both detectives into another conference room.

Saiba Neo knew he should feel guilty as he watched his mother cry outside the police station, but he didn’t.

She hadn’t understood how he’d felt the night before after learning he’d failed to make it into UA as he’d always dreamed of. She’d had the nerve to suggest he could be perfectly happy at one of the other hero schools, like Shiketsu.

He scoffed. He deserved nothing less than the best, and that was UA. If UA failed to see his potential, screw them. They couldn’t see real potential if it stood right in front of them.

With the help of his new companion, Neo would prove them all wrong.

Cold blue eyes fell on the child, comforting his mother, taking in the boy’s delicate frame, pale skin, and wide red eyes. It annoyed him to see the kid earning his mother’s affection so effortlessly when Neo struggled even to get an ounce of it.

“This kid doesn’t look like much,” he drawled into his cell phone. “A stiff wind could break him.”

Although Neo placed no call, a gravelly voice responded.

“He’s stronger than he looks. Watch him fight, and you’ll be surprised by what you see.”

“What’s so special about this kid?” Neo asked.

“Watch him. Learn everything about him. See for yourself what I see, and you’ll know why he’s so important. You want to be the best. Own him, and this world will have no choice but to kneel at your feet. You can show everyone that they were wrong to look down on you.”

“Couldn’t you do all of that on your own anyway? You’re supposedly an all-powerful demon, aren’t you?”

“I was, I am, and I always will be,” the voice replied. “No matter my current appearance. With time, I will bring this world to its knees. However, there’s something about breaking a pure soul and forcing it to do your bidding, wouldn’t you agree?”

Neo watched the boy get carried off into the police station, the fond exasperation on his guardian’s face clear to see even at a distance. The boy was well cared for in a way Neo had never been. Despite his numerous achievements, Neo’s parents never showed the same level of affection towards him that the boy earned in such a short time.

“I’ll watch him,” Neo finally conceded.

“Smart boy,” the voice complimented him. “Be careful to avoid detection. The boy’s partner has a sharp sense of smell. Don’t let him catch sight of you.”

“That won’t be a problem,” Neo replied, his form shifting until it matched that of a passing stranger. He could change everything about himself and fool every sense with his quirk. It would be hard for people to pinpoint a difference between him and who he pretended to be. No one could find him unless he wanted to be seen. Not even this supposed Digimon Tamer that was about to become his new obsession.

Chapter Text

MegaGargomon, Sakuyamon, and Justin stared in awe at the newly transformed Gallantmon Crimson Mode, temporarily forgetting that they were in the middle of fighting off a massive Parasimon invasion.

The fight hadn’t been going as well as any of them hoped. Parasimon may be Mega-level Digimon, but they stood no chance against the Biomerged Mega individually. They made up for the particular weakness through sheer numbers, even subduing MegaGargomon’s colossal form.

All hope seemed lost when Gallantmon suddenly erupted with crimson light, obliterating all of the Parasimon that pinned him.

His light washed over his exhausted allies, bringing them renewed energy.

“Beautiful,” Nonaka Rika breathed.

Gallantmon CM had never heard the proud Tamer give him such a compliment before. She hadn’t had the chance to see his new form during the battle against the D-Reaper, preoccupied as she had been against her giant enemy.

He forced himself to refocus his attention on his task. His time as Gallantmon Crimson Mode was limited, and every second counted. If the mode change wore off too soon, the Tamers’ chances against the invasion would worsen, and Gallantmon would be forced out of commission.

Takato’s human body couldn’t handle the strength of the mode change. After the D-Reaper, the Tamaer had only held on long enough to watch the Digimon be forcibly returned to the Digital World before he’d collapsed.

He woke a day and a half later, scolded by family and friends alike for hiding his condition from them.

The same would likely happen after he devolved this time, but it was a sacrifice he was willing to make. His only regret was that he would miss out on celebrating Rika’s birthday with everyone; if the Parasimon didn’t ruin her celebration already.

A spark of anger flared through Gallantmon CM, directed towards the Parasimon. The parasites tormented Rika, causing her so much pain, on a day everyone wanted to make memorable for her. That was unforgivable.

Golden eyes narrowed in determination, Gallantmon CM stretched out his glowing white wings. He would make the Parasimon regret their decision to invade their world. He flew straight for the Digital Zone, slaughtering every Parasimon that dared cross his path, uncaring for the green blood that splashed across his once pristine armor.

If he’d known that this would be the last time he saw his friends, Gallantmon CM would have looked back at them at least once.

He lifted his holy spear, Gungnir, over his head and hurled it into the heart of the Digital Zone.

“QUO VADIS!”

A large beam of crimson light poured out of the zone, cleansing the chaotic Shinjuku streets of all parasites.

“Time to go home,” the knight said, eager to leave the ominous dark space through the closing portal.

He started to descend but stiffened as he sensed a new, much stronger presence rushing towards him.

Before he even had the chance to investigate, the culprit crashed into him from behind, wrapping his arms around him and crushing his wings between them.

“Found you,” a gravelly voice purred, sending chills down Gallantmon CM’s spine.

“Release me!” The knight ordered, struggling against the grasp without success. His eyes widened as he realized his attacker pulled him further into the Digital Zone, away from the rapidly closing exit.

“Never. You won’t escape me so easily now that I’ve found you.”

Gallantmon CM realized with horror that his captor was trying to force him to devolve, but that was the least of his concern as the portal closed, sealing his fate.

“No!” His assailant’s gleeful cackle nearly drowned his cry of anguish.

“No going home for you, Hazard Child.”

Gallantmon CM slumped forward, defeated and frustrated. Images of his parents and his friends flashed through his mind, tormenting him with the knowledge that he wouldn’t be going home to them like he thought he would.

Pain soon gave way to anger.

“All I wanted was to go home… you took that from me.”

The DigiCore sealing the Hazard cracked, and a malicious red aura surrounded the angelic Digimon. It gave him the strength to break free of his captor, who no longer laughed.

“It’s all your FAULT!!” The enraged knight screamed, eyes glowing red as he unleashed the not-so-holy energy in all directions.

Unfortunately, Gallantmon CM got caught in the aftershock of his attack, sending him hurtling in the opposite direction, form flickering as his evolution dissolved.

“… wake up.”

A hand closed onto Takato’s shoulder. His eyes snapped open, and he instinctively lashed out, only for his hand to be caught by Guilmon’s clawed one.

Takato blinked a few times and found both Tsukauchi and Guilmon hovering over him.

“Sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you,” Tsukauchi said as he took his hand off of Takato’s shoulder. “I couldn’t find any other way to wake you, You looked like you were having a bad nightmare, and it was starting to affect the electronics.”

“Was it,” Takato said groggily, sitting up in what he recognized as his bed. “Sorry. I didn’t know I could do that.”

“It must have something to do with your new modifications,” Tsukauchi theorized.

“Probably,” Takato agreed. “How did I get here? The last thing I remember was sitting at your desk after I finished giving my statement.”

“You fell asleep almost instantly, and I brought you here,” Tsukauchi explained.

“Weren’t you going to have Makoto pick me up?” Takato asked, cocking his head to the side.

“I was, but I didn’t want to disturb your sleep when you already get so little,” the detective said.

“Sorry… I didn’t mean to take you from your work,” Takato apologized.

Tsukauchi put a hand on Takato’s downturned head, ruffling his hair.

“You never have to apologize for taking my time. I’m your guardian. My time is yours. I’m only sorry that I haven’t been able to give you all of the time you needed so far.”

Takato peeked up at him shyly.

“You’ve done more than enough for me,” the boy said, trying to assuage Tsukauchi’s guilt. “Were you able to go back to work? How long was I out for?”

“You were asleep for five hours, and I brought my work home with me so that I could be here if you needed me.”

“Thank you,” Takato said. Sleep had been difficult for him ever since they were trapped in the Digital World.

They may not have physically required sleep in the Digital World, but the mental benefits were still essential.

Between all of the attacks that he and Guilmon endured before the Royal Knights found them, sleep was hard to come by. Takato still struggled with it even after being brought to the Royal Knights’ stronghold. Alphamon had taken it upon herself to stand guard by his room during those initial few months to give him the sense of security he needed to sleep. He had never been more grateful for her support.

Neither Alphamon nor the other Royal Knights ever ridiculed his need to be watched over, even if he felt embarrassed over needing something he should have long outgrown. Nevertheless, it was the only way he managed to get any sleep until his body and mind stopped anticipating danger at every turn.

“Do you want to talk about it?”

Takato stared at Tsukauchi blankly, realizing he’d spaced out as the detective spoke.

“Do you want to talk about your nightmare?” Tsukauchi asked. “You were crying and muttering ‘your fault’ in your sleep.”

“Oh…” Takato traced the dried tear tracks he hadn’t even realized were present. He took a moment to gather his thoughts. “I dreamed of the day I first got trapped in the Digital World.”

“During the big Digimon invasion,” Tsukauchi recalled.

“A large number of Parasimon attempted to take over our world. Guilmon and I went to destroy the source and succeeded.”

“But the portal closed before you could leave.”

Takato nodded, expression darkening.

“With everything that’s gone on, I never realized I’d forgotten something important about that day until now.”

“Oh?” Tsukauchi leaned forward. “What did you forget?”

“Someone kept us from leaving the Digital Zone,” Takato said, hands balling into fists. “We didn’t get the chance to see him at that time, but there’s no mistaking that voice.”

Guilmon growled as the memory returned to him as well, and Tsukauchi’s face twisted as he caught on.

“Daemon.”

Takato nodded.

“I think I finally know what he wants from us.”

Tsukauchi didn’t say anything, allowing Takato to gather his thoughts.

“He’s after the Digital Hazard.”

“What’s that?” Tsukauchi asked, confused.

Takato gestured to Guilmon’s chest symbol and the one on his, although his shirt hid it.

“I told you about Guilmon’s dark evolution before. The Digital Hazard is the source of his destructive power.”

Tsukauchi paled.

“That’s not good. Can he take it from you?”

Takato shook his head.

“Although I never designed Guilmon with the Hazard in place, it’s buried within his coding and can’t be removed.”

“IF you didn’t mean for Guilmon to have the Digital Hazard, how did he get it?”

“I don’t know. All I know is that Guilmon’s a vessel, and I’m the trigger. Now I know why Daemon didn’t kill us and why he went out of his way to torment us. He wanted to release the Hazard.”

Takato started trembling as he remembered the chaos from Megidramon’s birth.

The dragon’s short existence caused destruction throughout the Digital World and was seen even in the Real World.

It had been a blessing in disguise when Beelzemon defeated him, rendering the Digital Hazard dormant again.

It was a wonder that the same destruction didn’t occur when Takato unleashed the Digital Hazard again during his confrontation with Daemon. Hw had a feeling that the only reason it hadn’t was that Takato and Guilmon had Biomerged during those clashes. He was still unsure if that was a good or bad thing.

If the Hazard unleashed in this world…

This world had heroes, but Takato didn’t know if they could subdue Megidramon the same way Beelzemon had.

“Hey.”

Tsukauchi clapped a hand onto Takato’s shoulder, snapping the boy from his panicked thoughts.

“We won’t let anything happen to you,” Tsukauchi promised. “Daemon will never get his hands on you again.”

“There’s no way you can promise that.”

“Perhaps not,” Tsukauchi conceded. “But we’ll do everything within our power to keep it from happening.”

“And if he does get a hold of us?”

“We’ll do everything in our power to get you back.”

“What if,.. what if I lose control? I don’t want people to get hurt.”

“You won’t,” Tsukauchi said. “You’re stronger than you think. That same desire will help you remember why it’s important to keep the Digital Hazard in control. Remember that you aren’t alone if it’s too hard for you. We’ll help you.”

Takato knew he would do whatever was in his power to prevent Daemon from achieving his goals, but ‘what-if’ scenarios haunted his mind.

“If Daemon succeeds and I lose control,” Takato began, his voice shaky. “You need to promise to—”

“We’ll make contingency plans, but do not ask me to do what I think you’re about to,” Tsukauchi interrupted Takato sharply as he pulled the boy into a tight embrace. “There’s no need to go that far.”

“But what if….” Takato began, only to get hushed as Guilmon joined the hug.

“We’ll face whatever comes our way, Takato. We always do. Don’t let fear consume you.”

Takato closed his eyes and took a deep breath to suppress his anxiety, taking comfort within the protective embrace he was ensconced in.

The odds may seem stacked against them right now, but he and Guilmon would get stronger. They wouldn’t let Daemon get the upper hand against them again. It was too early to lose hope.

Chapter Text

“Where did those bruises come from?” Tsukauchi asked Takato the following day as they sat for breakfast, eyeing the scattered, healing marks decorating his pale arms. “They weren’t there last night.”

Takato winced. He should have been more careful when trading the night before, but he’d gone overboard in his determination not to lose time getting stronger. He hadn’t precisely shared his intent to resume training with his guardian before he and Guilmon sneaked out in the middle of the night. He had hoped his accelerated healing would help hide their actions, but that was not the case.

“Guilmon and I woke up early, and we couldn’t fall back asleep. So we sparred instead,” Takato said, refusing to meet his guardian’s eyes.

“You what?” Tsukauchi gaped, looking between Guilmon and Takato. “Against each other?”

“We didn’t have anyone else to fight against,” Takato pointed out as he divided the servings of the eggs he’d made for their breakfast. Makoto had already left for her morning classes, leaving them free to talk without fear of giving anything away. “Gankoomon — one of the Royal Knights who trained us — used to have us face off against each other all of the time.”

“But he at least supervised you, didn’t he?” Tsukauchi asked, frown deepening.

“Well, yeah…”

“Why didn’t you let me know?”

Takato fiddled with his fork.

“You’ve been working so hard lately. I didn’t want to disturb your sleep.”

Tsukauchi pinched the bridge of his nose.

“I appreciate the consideration, but let me know next time. Where did you spar? In your room?”

“Of course not,” Takato said. “We sneaked out onto the roof instead.”

“The roof…” Tsukauchi didn’t look the slightest bit reassured.

“Don’t worry. No one saw us. We didn’t use any special attacks, and we tried to be as quiet as we could.”

“Did you have to train in the middle of the night?”

“We have to get stronger,” Takato said, balling his hands into fists as he thought of the challenges they would face. “We only gained the advantage over Daemon by using the Digital Hazard. We’re lucky that the portal in your world was the only consequence. We can’t afford to let that happen again.”

“I won’t stop you, but at least keep me in the loop. We can find you a safe place to train with appropriate supervision. The night should be reserved for only sleep, okay?”

“I can work with that,” Takato said, brightening. He’d expected Tsukauchi to ream him out again, but it looked like the detective was starting to let up on his restrictions. At least a little.

Takato knew Tsukauchi only wanted to keep him safe, but he had no time to be coddled.

Takato had another reason to sneak out the night before, but he didn’t want to bring attention to it.

A week had passed since his and Guilmon’s battle against Daemon, and he wanted to check if there was any lasting damage.

Guilmon’s Champion and Ultimate forms were too conspicuous, so Takato attempted Biomerging instead. Takato longed for the sense of security that came from the evolution he and Guilmon favored for most of their stay in the Digital World.

No luck.

The moment Takato tried, his D-Arc lit with golden light like usual, but then Takato’s body nearly exploded with rain. The next thing he remembered was waking up sprawled across the ground.

It felt similar to how he felt with the side effects of using Crimson Mode, which made Takato believe his current body wasn’t ready yet to handle Guilmon’s Mega form.

The inverses fusion may have granted Takato a greater ability to fight alongside his partner, but it came with consequences too.

Takato tried not to be frustrated over the loss of his and Guilmon’s trump card, telling himself that they would find a way to regain it.

He was tempted to check on Guilmon’s ability to digivolve to Growlmon or WarGrowlmon but abstained for now. They would have to check on that later, where it wouldn’t be as noticeable. He just had to be patient and keep moving forward.

“So, are we in trouble for fighting against the goons the other day?” Takato asked, hoping for a distraction.

Tsukauchi shook his head.

“Guilmon’s actions were accepted as self-defense. They can’t fault a familiar from protecting his charge, especially when the said charge couldn’t even remember having a quirk, to begin with. You’re in the clear for now, but be careful.”

Takato and Guilomon nodded, no more inclined to get into trouble than Tsukauchi.

“I’ll bring you to get your quirk registered tomorrow. I’ve got a new lead on one of the cases I’m investigating, so we won’t be able to go today. Makoto plans to take you to get clothes and other essentials today once she’s finished with her class this morning.”

“That doesn’t sound too bad,” Takato said.

“She’ll also bring you to get enrolled in your new school. Don’t worry. You won’t start right away,” Tsukauchi chuckled at Takato’s grimace. “You’ll likely have to do an aptitude test to see what level you’re at in your education so they can place you appropriately.”

Takato had mixed feelings about school. School was dull, but he’d almost missed it while he was in the Digital Hazard, craving the normalcy he’d lost.

Alphamon and Omnimon made sure he didn’t lose out on his studies, so Takato didn’t imagine he’d be too far behind, but he was worried about how the differences between his world and this one would play a role.

School couldn’t be the same in a superhuman society. There was still so much he didn’t know about this world. He had a lot to catch up on, especially when it came to anything to do with quirks or this world’s history.

When he voiced this concern aloud, Tsukauchi didn’t seem too concerned.

“You can always ask Makoto to teach you,” he advised. “She knows a lot about the subject. She’ll catch you up in no time.”

“I’ll do that. Thanks for the heads up.”

“You’ll be fine. Try to get more rest before Makoto comes home. I’ve got to go now.”

“Will do,” Takato replied, waking as Tsukauchi left the flat.

While waiting for Makoto, Takato turned the TV on and flipped through the channels.

He briefly stopped on the news channel and wrinkled his nose in disgust at the sight of a slimy eel-like humanoid wreaking havoc in a crowd, chasing after a scantily-clad girl. According to the headline, the incident happened the day before.

Some quirks out there were bizarre. Takato didn’t envy the girl for being the target of the out-of-control boy. He had terrible experiences with Numemon and Sukamon in the Digital World.

He switched channels to a show discussing the top Heroes and soon got enthralled by it.

“What are you watching?” Guilmon asked once he finally left Takato’s room.

“A show about Pro Heroes,” Takato replied. “How are you doing? I’ve never seen you sleep through breakfast before.”

“I was sleepy,” Guilmon replied.

It was odd for the ordinarily energetic Digimon to act this way, making Takato worry that his partner hadn’t fully recovered yet. He also couldn’t help but wonder if Guilmon somehow compensated for Takato’s lack of sleep.

Maybe we shouldn’t have trained so hard earlier.

“Sorry if I wore you out,  Guilmon.”

“Don’t be. I want to get stronger too.”

“Yea, but maybe we should take it easy for a little longer.”

Before they could continue their conversation, the front door opened, and Makoto stepped in.

“How was class?” Takato asked.

“Same as usual,” she shrugged before dropping her belongings off in her room. “What are you watching?”

As Takato explained, she hummed in fascination, choosing to sit between the Tamer and his partner on the couch.

“So what heroes caught your attention so far?” She asked.

“There’s All Might,” Takato said before grinning sheepishly. “Not the most original, I know, but he’s cool. All those people saved and every villain he defeated with a smile on his face. That’s harder than it looks.”

Takato glanced down, contemplating previous fights.

In every instance, Takato didn’t have it in him to try smiling, even to reassure those around him. His entire focus remained on defeating his enemy.

All Might’s perpetual smile reminded Takato of Ryo’s casual grin in the face of danger. Takato had always admired Ryo’s confidence, wishing he’d had the same ability. All Might’s ability to instill hope trumped Ryo’s by a large margin.

“Our Symbol of Peace certainly has a presence,” Makoto agreed. “What do you think of Endeavor?”

Takato frowned as he thought of the imposing fire user.

“Well, he strong and capable,” Takato said, thinking of the number of cases Endeavor had resolved according to the show. “But he’s intense.”

“He can be pretty intimidating,” Makoto agreed. “He’s a powerful hero, but one of the things that keep him from being more popular is his attitude. He doesn’t match All Might on that front.”

“Popularity… that’s pretty important for the heroes, right?”

It sure seemed like that, from what Takato could see.

The support of those that one sought to protect was necessary. Takato had seen that for himself in his world where civilian views of the Tamers were mixed.

Takato and his friends had their fair share of supporters, but others did their best to hinder the Tamers whenever they attempted to do their job.

Hypnos helped the Tamers counteract those particular obstacles, so they never worried much.

The heroes held the populations’ favor in this world, but what would happen if the people lost faith in them?

Takato didn’t want to know.

It was easy to put people on a pedestal, but no one was perfect. Once an idol fell from grace, the chaos that came after wasn’t pretty.

Kazu had the unfortunate chance of seeing that for himself.

Fame inflated his ego, and his arrogance and erratic behavior set him at odds with Tamers and Hypnos alike.

All it took was one reckless fight against an enemy stronger than Kazu could handle for everything to crash down on him.

Takato and Rica intervened before there were any casualties, but people were furious.

They called the Tamers’ ability to handle threats into question, and Hypnos had to put up one hell of a fight to defend the Tamers.

In the end, Kazu was benched, and he had to help restore the area damaged in his fight. He made no complaint, the consequences of his actions giving him a much-needed reality check.

Takato was sure he would find similar instances amongst heroes if he researched the topic. He wondered what measures were put into place to ensure that the heroes did their job appropriately.

I guess that may be one reason why it’s so hard to get into a hero school.

“… ready?”

Takato turned to Makoto with a sheepish smile.

“Sorry. I missed that. Could you repeat what you said?”

“You like to daydream a lot,” Makoto remarked.

“I’ve been told I’m a dreamer,” Takato shrugged.

“Are you ready to go?”

Takato nodded.

“Where are we going?”

“First, we’ll get your school registration and aptitude test out of the way. Then we’ll go to a shopping center in Naruhata. It may not be the biggest place, but there are some things I wanted to check out in that area.”

“Sounds good to me.”

“I think we got enough clothes to hold you for a while,” Makoto said as she, Takato, and Guilmon walked down the streets of Downtown Higashi-Naruhata with bags in hand.

“More than enough,” Takato agreed, wincing as he thought of all the money spent on him. “So, what did you want to check out in this area?”

“I’ve been hearing rumors lately about a group of vigilantes operating in this area,” Makoto explained. “I wanted to ask around about them.”

“There are vigilantes around here?” Takato asked, eyes wide with interest.

Makoto nodded.

“What do you know about vigilantes?: she asked him.

“Not much. Only that Detective Tsukauchi doesn’t like them very much,”

“Naomasa has always been more straight-laced when it comes to the law,” Makoto said. “You know that you don’t have to address him so formally, right?”

“I know.” Takato scratched the back of his neck. “I just haven’t found a way to address him comfortably yet.”

“I’m sure you will,” Makoto said, patting his shoulder. “So, would you like to know more about vigilantes?”

“Yeah. I’d like that. I was also going to ask if you could teach me about quirks and quirk history, too, since I don’t remember much about it.”

“I’d be happy to teach my cute nephew,” Makoto grinned, ruffling his hair. “A vigilante is someone, who of their own volition, takes action outside of the jurisdiction of the law to help maintain public order.”

Kind of like what the other Tamers and we did before Hypnos decided to back us.

“That’s not entirely a bad thing, is it?” Guilmon asked.

“It depends on the way you look at it,” Makoto replied. “If everyone took the law into their own hands, it would be a total mess.”

“You have a point,” Takato agreed. Not just anyone had the capability to do what was needed and in a way that maintained order.

“In the dawn of the paranormal era, vigilantes emerged as this society’s first heroes. However, as society developed further, laws were put into place to regulate quirk usage. The government made new criteria to determine what constituted a Pro Hero authorized to maintain the peace. Only a few of the original vigilantes made the cut.”

“How many became Pro Heroes?”

“Seven.”

Takato’s jaw dropped. He hadn’t expected so few to meet the criteria.

“Nowadays, most vigilantes vanished from existence. So you can see why I’m so interested to know more about the rumors of new ones.”

“I’m kind of interested too,” Takato admitted. It was nice to be distracted from everything they had on their plate.

“Before we go, there’s something I forgot to grab from a nearby store. I’ll be quick, so would you mind waiting for me here?”

“We can do that,” Takato said, although he was curious as to why they couldn’t just go together. He figured she had her reasons, so he didn’t question it.

“Keep an eye on him, okay?” Makoto asked Guilmon, who nodded with a toothy smile.

“Shouldn’t it be the other way around?” Takato called out after her, only getting a laugh in response. “Run after a villain one time, and suddenly no one trusts you to do what you’re told.”

While Makoto was gone, Takato and Guilmon entertained themselves by watching passersby.

A familiar scent reached their noses, and both Tamer and Digimon turned to look across the street.

An all-too-familiar man clad in trench coat and hat trailed after two chatting figures that either wore or held what looked like fan merchandise with the word “Pop” on them.

“Isn’t that Tsukauchi?” Guilmon asked, opening his mouth to call out to their guardian, only Takato stopped him.

“Wait, Guilmon. I don’t think he wants to be noticed. Its looks like he’s on the job.”

He was curious about what Tsukauchi was doing, but it wasn’t his business.

Guilmon’s ears twitched, and he looked up with a frown.

Catching onto his partner’s change in attitude, Takato focused his ears and heard a buzzing sound.

Bugs? Sounds like a lot of them.

Before Takato could react, Guilmon swiped something out of the air with a growl.

“What -” he began to say, not even getting the chance to investigate Guilmon’s actions before screams filled the air.

All around them, chaos erupted as people suddenly transformed into veritable monsters.

“Uwaaah!” A bulky man with long clawed hands cried. Another man spontaneously combusted while lasers shot out of a woman’s eyes nearby.

“Vi-villains!” Someone cried.

“They’re everywhere!”

Panicked onlookers ran away from the so-called villains, and TRakatgo could faintly make out Tsukauchi’s voice calling for an emergency dispatch of heroes.

Takato and Guilmon remained rooted to their spot, stunned by how quickly everything went awry.

So much for a peaceful day out.

Chapter Text

A series of conflicting thoughts ran through Takato’s mind as he watched the madness unfold in front of him.

His initial thoughts were of what actions he and Guilmon would need to take the neutralize the threat in front of them, considering which modify cards would be their best choice. A familiar lust for battle started to rise with him before he remembered Tsukauchi’s advice to lay low.

A public display of their battle prowess would not be a good thing as long as Takato remained unregistered and unlicensed.

That meant the only option he and Guilmon had was to run away like everyone else. That was a harder pill to swallow than Takato thought it would be.

While fighting the D-Reaper, the Tamers knew to make strategic retreats when needed, but Takato never liked doing that, knowing of the danger Jeri had been in. Henry usually had to reign him in.

Takato knew they could put a stop to the destruction, but it wasn’t their place to do so.

Fortunately, it didn’t take long for Pro Heroes to appear on the scene, and Takato remained rooted to his spot for an entirely new reason.

Pro Heroes that he had just started to recognize from the news earlier acted quickly against the threats.

“Are you seeing what I’m seeing?” Takato asked Guilmon, mouth ajar as he saw the brutal and efficient way the heroes knocked the villains out.

“Yeah,” Guilmon said, right before Present Mic let out an ear-splitting cry, rendering both Tamer and Digimon insensate for a few moments.

Enhanced hearing isn’t always a good thing. Takato groaned once he was capable of conscious thought again.

Rubbing at his ears, Takato checked to see if they were bleeding when a faint, familiar voice called his name.

Blinking, Takato turned and found Tsukauchi waving frantically at him from a distance away, eyes wide with alarm.

He caught movement out of the corner of his eye, and he soon found what caused his guardian to panic.

Sharp turquoise eyes met surprised red.

A chill ran down Takato’s spine as he realized Endeavor’s focus was directed towards Guilmon, and his body language screamed of nothing but aggression.

Does he think Guilmon’s one of the villains?

Guilmon growled in the face of the oncoming threat, battle instincts taking over. The Digimon stepped in front of his partner, but that was the last thing Takato wanted.

Guilmon protecting Takato from goons trying to kill him was one thing. If he attacked a Pro Hero…

Takato didn’t want to imagine what would happen.

There was no time for Takato to think of a way to resolve the misunderstanding peacefully as Endeavor pulled back a flaming fist to land his first blow.

“Stop!” Takato cried, jumping in front of his partner with his arms crossed, bracing for impact. Red scales covered his skin for an extra layer of protection.

He saw Endeavor’s eyes widen, but both he and Takato knew it was too late to stop his momentum.

White cords wrapped around Takato and Guilmon just as Endeavor’s fire extinguished. The ropes pulled the Tamer-Digimon duo away before the hero’s attack could hit them.

Takato grunted as he and Guilmon crashed into a black-clad chest that belonged to someone with a familiar scent.

“You have a tendency of being where you shouldn’t be,” Eraser Head drawled, pulling his goggles up so that he could meet Takato’s shocked gaze head-on.

“It’s not like we mean to be,” Takato said, at a loss of what else to say as he waited for the adrenaline to subside.

“I’m surprised you didn’t fight back,” Eraser Head commented.

“That would only make us look like the villains,” Takato pointed out before stiffening as a shadow loomed over them.

Guilmon bared his teeth as Endeavor approached, not appreciating the presence of the one who nearly hurt his Tamer. He quieted when Eraser Head tightened the cords still wrapped around them in silent warning.

“What is the meaning of this, Eraser Head?” Endeavor asked, glowering at all of them.

“You should thank me for stopping you from attacking innocent civilians,” Eraser Head replied. “I know these two. They’re not villains.”

Endeavor raised an eyebrow.

“The lizard certainly seems hostile enough to be one.”

“He only acted that way because you tried to attack us!” Takato snapped. Now that he wasn’t worried about Guilmon getting hurt, fear gave way to anger.

Takato knew Guilmon would have survived the attack thanks to his flame resistance and durability, but that didn’t mean he couldn’t be hurt. Takato wouldn’t stand for that.

“Think before you act,” Takato snapped.

Endeavor recoiled as if buffeted by an unseen force, seeming startled by whatever he saw in Takato’s eyes. The shock was soon replaced by irritation, and Endeavor’s flames flared with increased ferocity.

Takato didn’t flinch, but Eraser Head took a step forward, ready to intervene. He didn’t end up needing to do anything as Endeavor calmed himself.

“A child like you shouldn’t presume to tell a hero what to do. You do not know what type of decision we have to make to maintain the peace,” the Flame Hero retorted gruffly, turning away. “Next time, stay out of our way.”

Takato opened his mouth to spew more vitriol, but Eraser Head clamped a hand over his mouth.

“Don’t antagonize him.”

Takato grumbled but conceded. The last thing he should do is distract the heroes with greater priorities.

“You must have a backbone forged of diamond. There aren’t many out there that would confront the Number Two Hero the way you did.”

“I’ve gone against scarier beings,” Takato huffed. Zuqaoimon, the D-Reaper, and Daemon were all excellent examples. Endeavor was like a puppy in comparison to them.

“Why am I not surprised?” Eraser Head shook his head before turning to Guilmon. “Turn smaller.”

Guilmon complied readily now that he deemed them safe.

Takato squawked as Eraser Head scooped them up and ran from the battle. He wanted to insist that he could walk by himself, but now wasn’t the time to make a fuss.

Not more than he already had.

Eraser Head deposited Takato straight into Tsukauchi’s waiting arms.

“Get them out of here,” Eraser Head said in place of a greeting before leaving to help wrap the situation up.

Takato glanced back at the battle just in time to see All Might floor the largest villain with a devastating punch.

He could practically feel the power coming off of the Number One Hero. He was extraordinarily powerful for a human and could no doubt stand a chance against Digimon, but it was too early to tell if All Might could match Daemon’s strength or not.

Takato would need to see more of All Might in action to get a feel,  but this fight was almost over from the way it looked.

“Come on,” Tsukauchi said, startling Takato as the detective tugged on his arm. “Let’s go.”

Takato obeyed without question, wincing at the evident tension in Tsukauchi’s eyes.

As Tsukauchi let Takato with Makoto, who had been stuck watching everything from the sidelines, there was only one fear in Takato’s mind.

He’s never going to let me leave home again.

“You left him alone?”

Takato winced as Tsukauchi yelled at Makoto in the living room.

It had been hours since Takato and Makoto were escorted home from the villain attack after giving their statements.

Tsukauchi had only returned home recently, and the first thing he had done was ask Takato and Guilmon to go to their room while he had a long talk with his sister.

Takato knew Tsukauchi meant to keep the conversation private, but that was nigh impossible when both Takato and Guilmon had enhanced hearing.

“I hope Makoto won’t get in too much trouble,” Guilmon said, ears drooping.

“Me too,” Takato agreed, patting his partner’s head. “Come on; we should try not to listen to something we’re not supposed to.”

Takato sat down at his desk, working on making the sketches Eraser Head needed to identify Daemon in any of his possible forms.

It was hard to imagine all of the potential evolutions off of the top of Takato’s head, but he wasn’t a big Digimon fan for nothing.

He started by making a chart of Daemon’s forms, from highest to lowest.

Daemon’s potential Ultimate (Neo Devimon) and Champion forms (Devimon or Angemon) were easy enough to figure out. Still, when it came to Rookie-level and below, Takato had a more challenging time thinking of all possible options.

Too many variables.

Takato jotted down the two Rookies he thought fit the bill best (DemiDevimon and Tsukaimon) and then thought back to Angemon, putting Patamon on the list as well.

Hopefully, I’m not missing anyone.

Takato was about to move onto In-Training forms when he remembered a conversation he’d had with Impmon long before, regarding possible evolutions for the Rookie who had bypassed Champion and Ultimate when he gained his Mega form.

If Takato remembered correctly, Devimon fell on the list of possibilities for Impmon’s Champion form.

I hope that’s not the case here.

Takato didn’t want to imagine Daemon in the same form as one of his friends. It was an unpleasant thought.

A knock on the door pulled Takato from his task, and he called out to allow Tsukauchi to enter the room.

Takato winced as he saw how worn out the detective was, quickly getting up to allow Tsukauchi to take the seat while Takato took the bed with Guilmon.

“Are you okay?”

“I should be asking you that,” Tsukauchi said. “You were dangerously close to taking a direct hit from Endeavor’s flames.”

“I’m fine. Guilmon’s fire affinity came in handy now that I can use his scales. Besides, Eraser Head stopped him.”

“Thank God for that,” Tsukauchi sighed. “You nearly gave me a heart attack when you jumped in front of Guilmon. I can understand why you did, but wouldn’t it be better if Guilmon took the hit?”

Takato’s eyes darkened, and Tsukauchi was quick to elaborate.

“Don’t get me wrong. I don’t want Guilmon to get hurt any more than you do, but he would be able to withstand more damage than you.”

“Maybe so, but I refuse to take the chance that he can’t.”

Tsukauchi looked like he wanted to say something, but he must have seen how reluctant Takato was to continue the conversation and dropped the subject.

“Makoto told me about what happened today and why you were both in Naruhata in the first place.”

“I wasn’t looking for trouble, I promise.”

“I know you didn’t. You attract trouble.”

“Please don’t lock me away.” Takato blurted out, startling Tsukauchi.

“I have no plans to do that, no matter how tempting it is as a way to keep you safe. As much as I hate it, I can’t protect you from all dangers. All we can do is ensure we have some safety precautions in place, especially since you’ll start school next week.”

“What kind of precautions do you have in mind?”

“Regular check-ins to start with… and a tracker.”

“A tracker?” Takato frowned. “Is that necessary?”

“It’s that, or you end up with a police escort,” Tsukauchi replied.

“B-but,” Takato sputtered. “Why would they even do that? I’m just a random kid!”

“You’re also the target of a dangerous villain on the loose with a failed assassination attempt made against you already. A police escort could be justified.”

Takato wrinkled his nose. He understood Tsukauchi’s rationale, but a constant shadow was the last thing he needed.

His secret would be exposed way too quickly.

“Fine, I guess a tracker isn’t that bad,” he conceded, holding his cell phone out to the detective.

“I plan to put the tracker on your D-Arc. You’re less likely to lose it or leave it behind than your cell phone,” Tsukauchi said, and Takato deflated. He was less inclined to relinquish the digivice. He would be vulnerable in a way that he hadn’t been in for a long time.

“It’ll only be for a little while,” Tsukauchi reassured him. “And didn’t you tell me Guilmon could digivolve without your D-Arc once?”

“Well, yeah…” Takato began while scratching at the back of his head. “But that was in the Digital World, and things work differently here.”

“I’ll get it back to you by tomorrow night latest,” Tsukauchi promised.

“Okay. I’m trusting you.” Takato reluctantly handed his D-Arc over, feeling empty without it. He opted to ask a burning question to distract himself from the unpleasant feeling.

“What happened with the incident today?”

Tsukauchi sighed, knowing that Takato would be curious about the villain attack after having such a close-up experience with it.

“There’s not much I’m at liberty to discuss,’ the detective admitted with an apologetic smile. Takato deserved answers, but there weren’t many details allowed to be divulged until the investigation was complete.

“Did you find the bugs?” Guilmon asked, startling Tsukauchi.

“Bugs?” Tsukauchi thought of the strange insects with syringes replacing their abdomen found littering the ground. Traces of the drug, Trigger, had been found within the needles, revealing that what happened earlier was another Instant Villain incident. These victims hadn’t sought the drug out themselves. They had been forcibly injected and, therefore, weren’t villains at all.

Tsukauchi winced as he thought of how the heroes had dealt with them. This incident wouldn’t go without consequences.

“Well, did you?” Guilmmon asked again, and Tsukauchi realized he’d been quiet for too long.

“We did. How did you know about the insects?”

“We heard them coming,” Takato admitted. “Right before everything went crazy.”

“I saw them too,” Guilmon said. “One of them tried to attack Takato, but I took care of it.” The Digimon puffed out his chest in pride.

Tsukauchi stiffened as he imagined what would have happened if Takato had been injected with Trigger.

It may not do anything as Takato’s abilities did not stem from a quirk, but if it did work on him and Takato lost control of the Hazard…

The detective shuddered.

“Good boy,” he said, patting Guilmon’s head, who purred in response. “And yes, we did.”

“Did they have anything to do with what happened?” Takato asked. “The more I think about the situation, the more it bothers me. Those villains didn’t seem like villains. They looked as scared as everyone else did.”

Tsukauchi should have known Takato would pick up on those details. Born outside of this society, he hadn’t developed the same preconceived notions, so many had about villains.

“All I can say is that today’s incident is connected to the current case I’m investigating.”

“They weren’t villains, were they?” Takato asked, frown deepening. “Everyone just assumed they were like Endeavor did with Guilmon.”

Tsukauchi raked his hand through his hair. Takato had an unfortunate front-row seat to some of the harsh realities of their society.

“The general public and yes, even some of the heroes, can sometimes have a rather… superficial perspective on what defines a hero, villain, and a civilian.”

“Like kids at the park deciding who plays the hero and who plays the villain,” Takato muttered, eyes glazed over as he remembered something. “There’s no escaping prejudice no matter what world you’re in.”

“An unfortunate truth,” Tsukauchi agreed.

“Are they okay?” Takato asked. “The not-villains, I mean.”

“We call them Instant Villains,” Tsukauchi admitted. “And they’ll be fine.”

“That’s good, at least.” Takato relaxed.

“Makoto also told me that you did your placement test before you went shopping and that you are on par with other children your age… except when it came to history and anything to do with quirks. That’s to be expected, given the circumstances, but the school has agreed to let you start in the seventh standard as long as you receive tutoring on your weak subjects to get you up to speed. Makoto should be able to help you with that.”

“Speaking of Makoto, you’re not too upset with her, are you?” Takato asked.

“I can’t say I’m happy with her, but we’ll be okay. It’ll be a while before I let her take you anywhere without my approval.”

“She didn’t mean any harm,” Takato said.

“I know she didn’t, but it was reckless,” Tsukauchi responded.

“Fair enough.”

There was a knock on the door, and Makoto poked her head in.

“Dinner’s ready.”

“Great. I’m starving,” Guilmon piped up, rushing over.

“You always are,” Takato quipped as he followed his partner. “While we eat, could you tell me more about quirks, Makoto? I still have to figure out how to classify mine before I register it tomorrow.”

Makoto brightened, glad to see that Takato bore her no ill will.

“I’d be glad to.”

Chapter Text

“Did you bring us any goodies today?” the police officer who once jokingly offered to adopt Takato asked.

“Not today,” Takato replied with an apologetic smile. “I didn’t know I was coming here today. I’ll bring some the next time I come.”

“That’ll be great,” the man replied with a wide grin. “Tsukauchi brought you to get your quirk registered today, right?”

Takato nodded.

Thanks to Makoto’s help the night before, Takato was able to classify his quirk and go through the proceedings with minimal stress. Tsukauchi had advised him to be vague about his full capabilities to avoid unwanted attention.

As far as Takato knew, Tsukauchi’s advice seemed to have worked, though a few speculative stares had followed him and Guilmon as they left the building that in Takato’s world would have been Hypnos. Here, it belonged to the Hero Public Safety Commission.

Takato found it strange that a building that had once given him a sense of security now left him uneasy, though he couldn’t place why.

Tsukauchi had meant to drop Takato off at home after his quirk registration, but then the detective got called in for a joint meeting between the police and the heroes involved in the Naruhata attack.

Takato had offered to go home on his own, but Tsukauchi wouldn’t have it. Not with Takato’s track record.

Once at the police station, Tsukauchi was assigned to go to All Might’s agency to speak with the hero since the Symbol of Peace could not attend the meeting.

I wish he had taken us with him. Takato would have liked to see what a hero agency looked like, especially All Might’s, but he understood why Tsukauchi didn’t bring him.

The detective wouldn’t be able to give his assigned task his full attention if Takato was around.

Takato perked up when he saw his guardian return to the police station. Tsukauchi smiled as their eyes met, and he approached them.

“Sorry to keep you waiting so long. I brought some food for you.”

“Yay!” Guilmon exclaimed, bouncing up and down as Tsukauchi put a plastic bag on the desk. The Digimon immediately leaped inside to investigate the mouth-watering scent from the food.

“Wait! You’ll make a mess!” Takato protested, wrenching his partner out of the bag. He winced as Gigimon came out already covered in sauce. The In-Training Digimon was completely unrepentant as he munched happily on his newly claimed meal. “Now, look what you’ve done.”

Takato gave Tsukauchi an apologetic smile as he brought Gigimon closer to him. Better Gigimon stain his clothes than any important document.

“Is there a bathroom nearby?” Takato asked his amused guardian.

“It’s just around the corner. Do you need any help?”

Takato shook his head.

“My kid, my responsibility. I’ll be right back.”

He waved at the adults and slipped away quickly, finding the bathroom with minimal fanfare.

“Why’d you have to make a mess of yourself? You know better,” Takato scolded as he washed his partner off in the sink.

“Sorry, Takatomon, but I was hungry.”

“You ate breakfast.”

“Yeah, but that was hours ago!” Gigimon answered.

“Sometimes your appetite amazes me,” Takato replied, shaking his head in exasperation. 

Afterward, Takato wrapped Guilmon in his overshirt that fortunately hadn’t stained too severely, and he walked out in time to see the heroes pour out of the nearby conference room.

It was interesting to see the heroes wearing civilian clothes, except the few who remained in costume, including Eraser Head.

Let’s see who’s here. That’s  Death Arms, Thirteen, Ingenium, Eraser Head, Midnight, Snipe, Best Jeanist, and…

Takato scowled as Endeavor walked out of the room, suit jacket smoking.

Is he always angry?

Takato tried not to let yesterday’s incident taint his vision of Endeavor.

The Number Two Hero may have left a bad first impression, but that didn’t mean he was necessarily a bad hero. Just an impulsive one.

As long as he doesn’t try to hurt Guilmon again, I’ll be fine.

Takato was so caught in thought that he didn’t realize that Endeavor had seen him and approached him.

Not until the Zero units on the back of Takato’s hands started to glow.

The nearby lights and computer screens flickered as Gigimon digivolved to Guilmon, who growled and stood in front of his Tamer.

Endeavor stopped advancing and frowned.

“You should reign in your beast, child,” the Flame Hero said.

“His name’s Guilmon, and he’s only trying to protect me. He won’t do anything unless you give him reason to,” Takato said, trying to stay civil even though he didn’t like how Endeavor addressed his partner. It reminded him of how Yamaki was before he’d let go of his hatred of Digimon.

“What are you doing here?” Endeavor asked, disregarding Takato’s words completely. “This is the second time we’ve met in which you are somewhere you aren’t meant to be.”

“Takato’s here because I brought him here,” Tsukauchi said as he approached. “I didn’t have time to bring him home before the meeting. Given what nearly happened yesterday, I kindly ask for you to back away from my kid.”

To his credit, Endeavor did as Tsukauchi asked, but he still seemed suspicious of Takato and Guilmon.

As it turned out, thanks to the digivolution, Takato attracted the attention of some other heroes.

“I didn’t know you had a son, Tsukauchi,” Ingenium said as he approached. He smiled warmly at Takato, holding a hand out to him. “Hello. I’m the Turbo Hero, Ingenium.”

“Nice to meet you.” Takato accepted the hand and shook it. “I read about you in the news. Your quirk is cool.”

“Thanks,” the young hero grinned. “Yours is too, from the looks of it. What exactly is your quirk?”

“My quirk is called ‘Dream Data Manifestation.’ I can create things from data.”

“Oh? That’s unique. How do you do it? I thought you had some sort of ‘Familiar’ quirk because of your friend over here,” Ingenium asked.

“I’d show you, but I don’t currently have the support item needed to activate that particular aspect of my quirk,” Takato said, given that Tsukauchi still had his D-Arc. “Guilmon is part of my quirk. He’s… my first creation.”

“You created him,” Ingenium asked, eyes wide. “Does that mean he’s made of data too?”

Takato nodded.

“That’s amazing. Your quirk could have so many different uses.”

“Why?”

Takato frowned in confusion at Endeavor’s question.

“I’m sorry?”

“Why did you create him?” Endeavor clarified.

“I wanted a friend,” Takato said as if that explained everything.

Endeavor rolled his eyes.

“Is he capable of battle?”

Takato squired, uncomfortable with the line of questioning. He wasn’t sure if Endeavor was asking because he thought he was dangerous or if he was just genuinely curious. Nevertheless, he had no choice but to tell the truth. Guilmon’s previous aggressive stance against Endeavor was answer enough.

“I will protect Takato no matter what,” Guilmon said, startling everyone.

“You can talk,” Ingenium exclaimed, eyes bright with excitement. “That’s awesome.”

“So you’re more than just a mindless beast,” Endeavor said, eyes boring into Guilmon before turning back to Takato. “You have a unique quirk, indeed. What do you hope to do with it?”

“I plan to become a hero,” Takato replied, though it felt strange to voice that desire out loud. Back in his world, his plans for the future had been murky. He had been unsure if he would take over his parents’ bakery or go a different path. It was strange, but in a good way, to have a concrete goal in front of him.

“Why do you want to be a hero?” Ingenium asked.

This was a far easier answer for Takato to give.

“I want to protect those precious to me.”

“Good answer. My brother is around your age and wants to be a hero too. Maybe you’ll end up in the same school one day. Don’t you have a son around the same age too, Endeavor?”

Before Endeavor could respond, there was a loud noise behind them.

A large man with a bomb for a head burst into the police station, screaming obscenities and expressing his dislike for the police.

His quirk, according to the police officers that failed to keep him out, was suicide bomb. He was a dangerous threat indeed if it wasn’t for the fact that he was in a room full of heroes.

Are you kidding me? Takato gaped, not believing his luck. The last place he’d expect danger was the police station, and yet, here it was.

Guilmon growled and shielded the humans behind him, assessing the threat, but thankfully not engaging. It looked like he had taken Aizawa’s advice on how to protect Takato without breaking the law to heart.

Guilmon couldn’t remove Takato from the danger since the intruder blocked the exit, but he would ensure the enemy didn’t come close. There were enough heroes around to take care of the situation.

Takato knew there wasn’t much he could do in this situation. Guilmon’s fire affinity made him a poor match against a suicide bomber, and without his D-Arc, Takato couldn’t use his modify cards to create an advantage.

The Tamer forcibly pushed those thoughts from his mind. After his time in the Digital World, Takato’s first instinct was always to find a way to neutralize threats in front of him, but there was no need for him to do that now. 

“Shut the hell up! I don’t give a damn about you heroes! Go ahead, bring All Might here, why don’t you? See if I care!” the villain yelled out.

The mention of the Number One Hero appeared to reignite the slowly cooling anger with Endeavor as he took an ominous step forward with his fists clenched.

“Hmph… Suicide Bomb?” Endeavor spat, quirk flaring to life as he stalked forward. “Makes no difference to me! I’ll burn you down to ash in an instant! Just remember this… the one who ended you wasn’t that bastard, it was me!”

What the hell is he thinking? Takato’s eyes widened in horror. Endeavor was an even worse match for the villain than Guilmon. He’s going to get us all killed!

“Wait, stop!” he yelled after the hero, but his words fell on deaf ears.

He attempted to lunge forward, but Ingenium stopped him by grabbing his collar.

“You’ll only make things worse by putting yourself in danger,” the hero hissed.

Gruesome images of the inevitable explosion flitted through Takato’s mind, but thankfully, his worst fears didn’t come to fruition.

All thanks to Eraser Head and Midnight’s quick intervention.

Eraser Head wrapped his capture cloth around the villain and yanked him out of Endeavor’s way. As the capture cloth released the villain, he landed face-first in Midnight’s waiting bosom. He immediately turned docile, signaling the end of the tense standoff.

Takato relaxed in Ingenium’s hold and the hero released him.

“Are you okay? That must have been scary for you,” Ingenium said.

“I’m fine,” Takato replied. He was more annoyed than scared.

Endeavor’s poor judgment nearly led to tragedy, and yet, no one made any move to address it. What was to keep the hot-headed hero from making the same mistake again?

Takato wanted to give Endeavor a piece of his mind, but his words would mean little to the seasoned hero. People would just think Takato was throwing a tantrum. In the end, all the Tamer could do was bury his frustration.

“Was this your first villain attack?” Ingenium asked softly.

“Hardly,” Takato snorted. He’d been through four attacks in just as many days. He wondered how many villain attacks happened regularly. 

“I doubt it’ll be your last since you’re interested in going down the hero track,” Ingenium remarked. “Good luck. Maybe we’ll meet again in the future.”

“Thanks,” Takato replied as the hero left with the others that were slowly trickling away now that there was no more danger. The Tamer searched for Tsukauchi, who he saw assisting with the arrest.

Something told Takato that he wouldn’t be going home any time soon.

Aizawa observed Takato out of the corner of his eye. He had to give the Tamer some credit Aside from his outburst when Endeavor tried to fight the villain, Takato had made no move to interfere.

Still, the boy attracted more attention than he needed. As quiet and unassuming as Takato seemed, he had a magnetic personality.

Aizawa couldn’t help wonder what it would be like once the boy became a hero. He may have a presence similar to All Might.

“Anyway, back to our previous conversation,” Kayama said, reminding Aizawa that they had been discussing Kayama’s recent appointment as a teacher at U.A. “If you’ve got your own opinions on education, why don’t you become a teacher yourself? With me, at U.A.”

“Huh?” Aizawa raised an eyebrow at his long-time friend. “What’s gotten into you all of a sudden?”

“There are all sorts of students at school, you know. So we need different teaching styles to accommodate them all, isn’t that right?”

“...” Aizawa gave her a deadpan stare before flashing a toothy grin. “You must be joking. Me? A teacher. Now that would be the epitome of irrationality.”

He was about to walk away before he paused and glanced at Takato.

“Actually… can you arrange an appointment with Principal Nedzu? There’s something I’d like to discuss with him…”

Chapter Text

Tsukauch wondered if he’d bit off more than he could chew now that he harbored not only Takato’s secret but All Might’s as well.

A few days had passed since Tsukauchi learned the truth at All Might’s agency, and he still couldn’t wrap his mind entirely around it.

Not when he had so much work to do.

He didn’t know what possessed him when he offered to assist All Might with all of his paperwork. He blamed Tanuma for it. The other detective knew precisely what he got Tsukauchi into when he’d asked Tsukauchi to meet All Might.

Tsukauchi convinced Tanuma to take half of the load, citing his new responsibilities as Takato’s guardian as a reason.

There was no way he could balance both responsibilities alone without drowning.

The good thing about the situation was that Tsukauchi could get All Might to reach out to his colleagues on I-Island. Tsukauchi avoided telling All Might about the Digimon, voicing his concerns instead about a significant cyber threat that needed investigation without drawing too much attention to it. The Symbol of Peace had been all too happy to assist.

Tsukauchi had debated whether or not All Might should learn more about the digital threat, but he decided against it. All Might had enough of a burden on his shoulders. He didn’t need to add more to it, especially given the hero’s progressively weakening state.

Tsukauchi shuddered to think what villain could reduce All Might to his current state. If the villain was still around, would it pose as significant a threat as Daemon?

Takato had every reason to worry about whether or not the Pro Heroes could handle a threat like Daemon. Tsukauchi had been confident that they would be, but now that he knew All Might was working on borrowed time, he couldn’t be so sure.

The detective shook his head, forcing the thoughts away. He didn’t want to go down that wormhole, or he may start entertaining the idea that Takato would be right to intervene.

Tsukauchi couldn’t forget the haunted look in Takato’s eyes as he’d spoken of everything he’d experienced. If Tsukauchi could do anything to take the weight of the world off of his charge’s shoulders, he would.

His phone rang, and Tsukauchi grimaced, expecting it to be All Might with yet another task for him to complete.

Instead, it was Aizawa announcing that he had arranged a meeting with Principal Nedzu in a few days and that he would let them know what came of it.

At least something is moving in the right direction.

Deciding to take a break from the mountain of paperwork he’d brought home with him, Tsukauchi headed to Takato’s room to update him on Aizawa’s news.

The boy had been antsy over the past few days. They had yet to find an appropriate training space for Takato and Guilmon. Takato had redirected his energy to finding a way to communicate with the Royal Knights using Tsukauchi’s laptop. So far, he’d hadn’t succeeded.

Tsukauchi knocked on Takato’s for, but no one answered. A repeated effort produced the same result.

Maybe he’s asleep. 

Tsukauchi opened the door as quietly as he could to peek inside.

Tsukauchi found Takato sleeping at his desk, D-Arc attached to the open and unattended laptop.

Guilmon, who lay curled up at the foot of Takato’s bed, raised his head and stared at Tsukauchi with sleepy eyes and droopy ears.

Tsukauchi put a finger to his mouth and was about to close the door when a thought came to him.

He entered the room and frowned at the laptop, wondering if Daemon would be able to spy on Takato through it.

He was about to close the laptop when a message suddenly popped up on the screen.

Tsukauchi tried to read it, but he couldn’t make sense of any of the symbols.

“What is this?” He muttered. There was a shuffling sound behind him, and Guilmon soon joined him.

“What are you looking at?”

“Do you know what this is?” Tsukauchi asked, pointing at the strange symbols.

Guilmon leaned closer, and his eyes brightened.

“That’s Digimoji,” he explained.

“Is that some sort of digital language?” Tsukauchi asked, and Guilmon nodded.

“Alphamon wrote this message,” Guilmon said once he scanned the symbols.

“Alphamon? As in the leader of the Royal Knights?” Tsukauchi blinked. “You managed to get a message through?”

“Takatomon let them know we were okay but in a different world. We told them that Daemon is here too.”

“What does this message say?” Tsukauchi asked.

Guilmon frowned.

“Guilmon isn’t sure. Takato learned the language faster when the Royal Knights taught us.”

Tsukauchi was surprised that Guilmon didn’t have an inherent understanding of the language, but then he remembered that Guilmon was unlike other Digimon.

Tsukauchi was about to walk Takato when he recalled how jumpy the boy was when startled. He turned to Guilmon.

“Would you mind waking him?”

Guilmon shook his head and nudged Takato with his snout until the boy stirred.

“Wakey, wakey, Takatomon.”

Takato groaned in protest before opening bleary eyes.

“What is it?” He slurred.

“We got a message,” Guilmon said, pulling Takato into a seated position so that the Tamer could see what they were talking about.

Takato stared blankly at the computer screen for a few moments before he fully processed what was in front of him. Then he was wide awake.

“W-when did this pop up?” He said, eyes glued to the screen.

“Just now,” Tsukauchi replied.

Takato grabbed a piece of paper and scribbled the symbols down. His tongue peeked out of his lips in what Tsukauchi found to be a rather cute display of focus as the boy translated the message.

Both Tsukauchi and Guilmon waited patiently until Takato finally finished, slumping backward with a sigh of relief.

“What does it say?” Guilmon asked once his curiosity got the better of him.

Takato pushed the paper towards them, and both onlookers leaned forward to read.

TRUCE INTACT. DO NOT ENGAGE THE ENEMY. STAY IN CONTACT.

A

“So, what does this mean exactly?: Tsukauchi asked, turning off the laptop after he was certain that Takato was finished looking at it. It may be a useless maneuver, but if it could keep Daemon from gaining valuable intel from them, he would do whatever was necessary.

“It means that the Royal Knights and Demon Lords won’t go to war,” Takato clarified.

“That’s good. You were worried about that.” Tsukauchi had been woken more than once in the middle of the night thanks to Takato’s nightmares about what must have been going on in the Digital World. Maybe now, Takato would finally gain some peace of mind. “How are you so sure that the message is from Alphamon? Couldn’t it be Daemon pretending to give you a false sense of security?”

“The Royal Knights communicate through an encrypted channel, and we each have a distinct signature that can’t be forged,” Takato explained. “It took me forever to access it from here.”

“If you were able to message the Royal Knights, wouldn’t that mean Daemon could communicate with his brethren as well?”

“It’s a definite possibility,” Takato reluctantly admitted. “There’s no real way of telling.”

“I hope not,” Tsukauchi shuddered. The threat of one Demon Lord was enough. If Daemon found a way to bring the others to this world, it could spell disaster.

“We entered this world by pure chance,” Takato said, predicting what Tsukauchi was worried about. “Finding an entrance to this world will be hard enough, and the chance of a powerful Digimon coming through would be even harder.”

“Harder, but not impossible,” Tsukauchi pointed out.

“Not impossible,” Takato agreed. “My world was able to establish a Firewall to prevent Digimon from coming through, even if I ended up stuck on the other side of it. If there were someone here capable of creating something similar, we wouldn’t have to worry about something like that.”

“But you managed to tear a hole in the Firewall,” Tsukauchi pointed out.

“Thanks to the Digital Hazard,” Takato countered. “And I have no intention of letting it activate again.”

“I guess it’s a good thing I found a way to contact of the greatest scientists in this world then,” Tsukauchi mused, glad that he’d asked All Might for that favor.

“What do you mean?” Takato asked, confused.

“All Might knows some of the best scientists on I-Island,” Tsukauchi explained. “When I went to speak with him a few days ago, I asked if he could share those contacts with me. We don’t have your Monster Makers, but these scientists may be our best bet.”

“Can we trust them with the truth?” Takato wondered.

“We could try to tell them only what they need to know to do their job,” Tsukauchi suggested. “We don’t have to make that decision just yet if you don’t want to, but I wanted to keep you in the loop with the most recent updates.”

“Let’s wait until after we hear back from Eraser Head about U.A.,” Takato decided. “We still don’t know what to expect from that either.”

“We should be hearing back soon. Eraser Head just let me know he has an appointment set up.”

“Well, at least that’s progress,” Takato said.

“Will the Royal Knights be able to find you through these messages?”

“I hope so, but I doubt it will be easy,” Takato said. “The Digital World is huge. The Royal Knights may have an easier time traversing it than most Digimon, but finding a way to this world wouldn’t be easy. Even if they could, I’m not sure they would.”

“Why wouldn’t they?” Tsukauchi frowned. “Gallantmon is one of their own, right?”

“Yes, but given everything that is going on in the Digital World right now, they may not be able to afford anyone to search for us,” Takato said, looking unsure of himself for the first time in a while. “They have more important matters to attend to.”

“That may be true, but that doesn’t mean that they won’t,” Tsukauchi responded. The Royal Knights kept Takato and Guilmon safe for so long. They wouldn’t just turn their backs on them now.

“They warned us not to engage a Demon Lord in battle, and we screwed that up. I wouldn’t blame them for thinking we’re more trouble than we’re worth.” Takato bit his lip as his insecurities started to get the better of him.

“From what you told me, you had no other choice but to engage. The Royal Knights can’t fault you for that. Daemon has been hunting you for over a year now. He wasn’t going to just let you go. Did you tell the Royal Knights about what Daemon is after?”

“Not yet, but I will,” Takato replied as he turned the laptop back on to do just that.

“You’re pretty good with that language,” Tsukauchi remarked, thinking of how easily Takato used the strange symbols.

“Schoolwork may not be my strong point, but I’m a total nerd when it comes to anything to do with Digimon,” Takato said with an embarrassed flush spreading across his cheeks. “I was fascinated by Digimoji from the moment I first saw it on the Digimon TV show. When the Royal Knights started to teach it, I took to it like a fish in water.”

“So learning comes easy to you as long as you’re genuinely interested in the topic. Good to know,” Tsukauchi said. He knew Takato had what it took to be a good hero, but he needed to be strong academically as much as he was physically to get into U.A. They would have to find a way to help him excel. He shook his head and refocused on the matter at hand, eyes falling on Takato’s D-Arc.

“There’s Digimoji on your digivice, isn’t there? What does it say?”

“It just says ‘Digimon Tamers.’ Nothing special. There are a lot of Digimon with Digimoji somewhere on their person, Guilmon’s higher evolutions included. His Digimoji says ‘Digital Monster.’”

“Do the other Digimon Tamers have Digimoji on their D-Arcs?”

“No, I’m the only one as far as I know. My original D-Arc didn’t have it.”

“Could you teach me how to read and write Digimoji?” Tsukauchi asked, causing Takato to frown in confusion.

“I could, but why do you want to?”

“We need to find a way to be able to convey information between all those who know the truth about you in a way that can’t be intercepted. Paper communication may prevent Daemon from learning our moves as easily as he could on the Digital Plane. Digimoji could prevent humans from knowing what’s going on.”

“That could work,” Takato said. “Are you sure that you want to? You’re already busy enough.”

“I’ll find the time,” Tsukauchi reassured the Tamer. “Are you ready to start school tomorrow?”

Takato glanced over at the school uniform Makoto had laid out for him earlier. 

“Yes and no,” he admitted.

“What’s on your mind?” Tsukauchi asked while leaning against Takato’s desk.

“It’s just been so long since I’ve gone to school, and it’s finally settling in that I’m not in the Digital World anymore and that none of my friends are with me.”

“You must miss them a lot,” Tsukauchi sympathized. “But at least you’ll have Gigimon with you tomorrow.”

“I never got to go to school before,” Guilmon said, perking up. “Takato always had to leave me behind because I was too big. Terriermon always made me so jealous.”

“You didn’t miss much,” Takato reassured him. “Is it okay for Guilmon to come with me?”

“The school has agreed to let him come as long as he remains in his smaller form and out of trouble,” Tsukauchi replied. He wasn’t going to let Takato go anywhere without some semblance of protection. If Takato went to school without his partner, it would be an open invitation for Daemon to strike. 

“You remember the route to school, right?” Tsukauchi asked. They had done a test run earlier with Takato and Guilmon going to school while Tsukauchi followed a short distance away. The exercise had gone without a hitch, but the detective couldn’t help but be nervous, given Takato’s track record with villain attacks.

“We’ll be fine. Trust us,” Takato replied. “I’ll check in with you every hour like promised. Besides, you can track me now, remember?”

“True enough,” Tsukauchi said, smiling sheepishly. “I’m turning into one of those helicopter parents.”

“My mom was like that too,” Takato said. “Before I came back from the Digital World the first time anyways. After that, she started trusting me more.”

“I suppose when you go through everything that you both have gone through, there’s not much in the Real World that can faze you, is there?”

“Not really,” Takato said. “This world, though, looks like it still has plenty of surprises.”

“You have no idea.”

Chapter Text

No matter what world Takato was in, there remained one universal truth.

I’m late!

Takato burst through the school entry doors like a hurricane, skidding to a halt in front of the two adults waiting for him in the middle of the hall. He recognized the principal, who he’d met the week before, but not the stern female next to him.

“S-sorry I’m late,” Takato panted, trying to straighten the uniform Makoto had spent so much time fussing over in the morning. “I missed my train.”

Despite all of his and Tsukauchi’s preparations the day before, Takato’s first solo trip to school had gone wrong from the very beginning.

First, Takato had struggled to pull Guilmon away from breakfast for longer than necessary. After reassuring Tsukauchi that they didn’t need a ride, Takato, with Gigimon now curled in his arms, raced towards the subway station, only to miss his train by the smallest of margins.

The next train would come too late, so Takato decided to run instead. Due to his desperate efforts, he’d learned that as long as he willed it to work, modify cards worked on him even if Gigimon wasn’t in Takato’s body.

Tsukauchi doesn’t have to know I used a Hyperspeed card. Takato wiped the sweat off his brow as he waited for the two silent adults to finally speak.

“Given this is your first day, I’ll let your tardiness slide this time, Mr. Matsuki, but don’t make a habit of it,” Principal Takahashi said.

“It won’t happen again,” Takato insisted, inwardly grimacing. Knowing his luck, it would definitely happen again. He'd have to find appropriate countermeasures for today’s roadblocks.

“This is your homeroom teacher, Matsumoto Anzu. She’ll bring you to your classroom and provide you with whatever you need. In the meantime, remember that. You can have your evolving familiar with you as long as he remains small and out of trouble. I won’t tolerate any aggressive behavior.”

“I’ll be good,” Gigimon promised, wriggling out from Takato’s backpack where he’d been tucked away during Takato’s run. Once free, he hopped into his Tamer’s arms and looked up at the two adults with wide, innocent eyes.

Ms. Matsumoto’s expression softened, but she quickly schooled her expression back to neutral.

“Come along, Mr. Matsuki. We’ve kept your new classmates waiting long enough,” she told him.

“I just need one second before we go.” Takato smiled apologetically. “I need to let my guardian know I made it here okay.”

“You have until we reach the classroom,” she told him as she started to walk away. Takato did his best to follow while texting at the same time.

TAKATO: Made it to school.

Takato was about to put his phone away when he got a reply.

  TSUKAUCHI: What took you so long? You didn’t take the train.

Takato grimaced. Of course, Tsukauchi would know he veered off course thanks to the tracker in his D-Arc.

TAKATO: I missed it. I had to run instead.

Ms. Matsumoto cleared her throat, and Takato realized they’d reached their destination.

He saw the dots on his phone screen showing that Tsukauchi was typing his response, but Takato couldn’t wait for it.

TAKATO: Gotta go. Class is starting. Bye.

Takato pocketed his phone, praying Tsukauchi wouldn’t be too mad at him as Ms. Matsumoto led him into the room.

The moment thirty sets of eyes fell on him, he wiped all thoughts of punishment right out of Takato’s mind.

If Takato had been in this situation before becoming a Tamer, he would have quaked under all of the predatory gazes directed towards him.

A Royal Knight does not cower.

Crusadermon’s words from one of the few lessons she ever gave him rang through his mind.

Takato had gone through too much to get overwhelmed by many kids his own age, so he straightened to his full height (not that it amounted to much) and met their curious glances head-on as his teacher introduced him and directed him to his seat.

“The only seat we have left is in the back of the room,” the teacher advised. “If you have any difficulty seeing or hearing, let me know now so that we can make the appropriate arrangements.”

“That’s not necessary,” Takato replied. His enhanced senses made her concern moot, and he was glad to have a seat in the back where there would be less attention.

He sat down at the back corner desk close to the window before smiling at the neighboring student, earning a shy smile back. Takato’s keen eyes caught the boy’s name on his closed textbook: Kouda Kouji.

“He has a weird head, Takatomon,” Gigimon said, making Takato flush in mortification as the other boy squeaked and ducked his face into his hands.

“I’m so sorry!” Takato said, unsure if the boy could hear him due to the nearby students’ laughing at Gigimon’s words. Takato would have to make a proper apology later when he got the chance. He turned his attention to his partner. “That was rude, Gigimon.”

“Sorry.” Gigimon’s ears drooped, and the surrounding girls awwed.

“Ms. Matsumoto, why does the new kid get to bring his pet to class, and we can’t?” An abrasive kid in the middle of the room with horns on his head asked, glowering at Takato.

“He’s not a pet, Mr. Ishida. He’s Mr. Matsuki’s familiar. As a part of Mr. Matsuki’s quirk, we cannot, in good conscience, separate them. Please keep your familiar quiet, Mr. Matsuki. We have had enough delays today as it is. We will have to make other arrangements for him.”

“He’ll be quiet,” Takato promised, giving Gigimon a warning glance. Gigimon pouted but nodded in agreement. He didn’t want to be away from his Tamer.

It was weird to be in school without his friends.

Takato’s eyes kept looking for Kazu, Kenta, and Jeri. Disappointment filled him each time his search came out empty. It was harder than he expected to accept that he was alone.

He suppressed his disappointment by focusing on his lessons instead, which proved to be more helpful than he thought when actually learning.

Takato hoped to apologize to Kouda for Gigimon’s unintentional insult when it was time for their first break. He never got the opportunity as curious students converged upon him.

“Where are you from?”

“Why did you transfer into this school so late into the year?”

“What’s your familiar’s name?”

“What’s your quirk?”

Takato’s mind whirred as he tried to process all of the questions thrown at him, quickly overwhelmed by the number of questions and the volume they were asked. Even Gigimon began to whine from the onslaught.

Human kids didn’t scare Takato, but he didn’t like being cornered. It took every ounce of his control to suppress the fight or flight instinct within him. After everything in the Digital World, he tended to succumb to the former more than the latter. That was the last thing he needed right now.

He started using the breathing techniques Craniamon had taught him to calm his building anxiety. It would have worked if it hadn’t been for one girl suddenly reaching forward to grab Gigimon.

Takato reflexively grabbed her arm just before she could touch his partner.

The other students’ excited chatter immediately died down, and Takato snapped out of his daze.

The girl, who had mouse ears and whiskers, trembled in fear, and Takato realized he must’ve glared at her.

“Sorry.” He released her, cradling Gigimon closer to him protectively.

“What’s your problem?” The horned boy Takato recognized as Ishida snapped.

“It was an accident. She startled me,” Takato explained.

“So it’s her fault now?” Ishida asked, crossing his arms.

Why is this guy so determined to pick a fight?

Takato didn’t want to engage, but there was little he could do with everyone watching.

“I’m not saying that. I grabbed her arm out of reflex,” he eventually said, silently willing Ishida to back down.

Fortunately, the murine girl decided to intervene.

“It’s my fault, Ishida. I should have asked before trying to pet his familiar,” she said, bowing to Takato in apology. “That was rude of me.”

“I’m sorry too. I didn’t mean to grab you. I’ve been around one too many villain attacks lately.”

That caught everyone’s attention, and they immediately forgot about Takato’s unintended aggression.

“What do you mean?”

Takato scratched his cheek, trying to find a good way to explain.

“Well, my… dad’s a police detective,” Takato said, feeling strange when addressing Tsukauchi in that way, but he didn’t want to bring attention to his foster child status. That would lead to even more prying questions he had no intention of answering. “Villain attacks are an occupational hazard.”

“That’s so cool!” Another kid exclaimed.

Easy for you to say. Takato wanted to roll his eyes. He may be the same age as these kids, but it was hard to relate to those who didn’t understand the danger. Admittedly, he had once been like them when he started as a Tamer, not knowing the full cost of wishing to have a Digimon.

“Have you met any heroes?”

It was amazing how quickly everyone switched from considering him a feral freak to someone worthy of attention again. This world’s love of heroes never failed to amaze Takato.

“I’ve met a few.”

“Like who?”

“Eraser Head, Endeavor, and Ingenium,” Takato said. “I glimpsed All Might once but didn’t get the chance to talk with him.”

“Who’s Eraser Head?” One of the other students asked.

“He’s an underground hero, so not many people know about him,” Takato said.

“How do you know him then?” The murine girl asked curiously.

“He saved me from one of the villain attacks I mentioned before.”

“He can’t be all that cool if no one knows about him,” Ishida huffed. “Endeavor’s ten times better.”

Takato was tempted to denounce Endeavor, still irritated with the Flame Hero’s poor decision-making, but he decided against it. There was no need to draw everyone’s ire for going against the popular opinion. It wasn’t worth it.

“Did you get any autographs?”

“I didn’t get the chance.” Takato shrugged. Autographs had been the last thing on his mind when he met the heroes.

The other students tutted in disappointment before returning to their original line of questioning about his quirk and origins.

Before they could pry too much, the teacher returned to the classroom and announced that the break was over.

Safe. Takato breaded as everyone backed off. He quickly checked his phone to see Tsukauchi’s response from earlier and groaned. Or not.

TSUKAUCHI: We will discuss what happened once you get home.

Takato stared at his PE uniform with a contemplative frown as his classmates changed around him and then left. There was a time he would’ve changed in front of everyone without hesitation, but not now.

Between his scars and tattoos (his facial tattoos hidden using Makoto’s makeup and the ones on his hands covered by fingerless gloves), Takato would draw more attention than he’d like. He knew he could explain the tattoos away as a part of his quirk, but he didn’t want to deal with any of the questions that would come along with it.

Fortunately, Takato had received permission to change elsewhere so that he wouldn’t worry about unwanted attention.

“Where are you going?”

Takato paused halfway through opening the door and sighed at Ishida’s question. He was starting to believe that the other boy had it out for him.

“I’m going to change.”

“Okay, then,” Ishida said, and Takato thought that would be the end of it for a moment. “Change here.”

“I’d rather not,” Takato replied, opening the door wider to walk out, only for Ishida to push it closed, trapping Takato inside.

“Do you think you’re better than us, Matsuki?” the larger boy asked, looming over Takato.  “Or are you hiding something?”

Takato’s brow furrowed as the boy took a step further into his space.

“Step back,” Takato told Ishida, losing his patience.

“Or you’ll do what?” Ishida asked, leering at Takato in a way that made his hackles rise. “It’s not like a pipsqueak like you could do anything to the likes of me. You don’t even have your pathetic little familiar with you.”

“Gigimon isn’t pathetic!” Takato snapped, balling his hands into fists. The boy should consider himself lucky that Gigimon wasn’t here. The Digimon had fallen asleep during the earlier classes, so Takato had left him in the classroom. The only reason he was so ready to do so was that he could sense his partner more effectively now through their strengthened bond. His partner was safe and still where Takato left him. Even if he faced danger, Gigimon could evolve to his Rookie level easily enough without Takato’s direct intervention. The Digimon was safe, and so was Takato, even though it didn’t look like that to those who observed the situation.

“Did I hit a nerve?” Ishida asked, lips curling into a cruel smile. “I don’t know why you’re so proud of that whiny piece of shit.”

The lights flickered, and the shadows danced around Takato as he tried to reign in the building anger within him. No one insulted Gigimon in front of him. If Ishida knew even a hint of what Takato’s partner could do, he would be telling a different story.

He can’t know.

Takato’s stiff shoulders relaxed as a voice that sounded eerily like Henry rang through his mind. Takato had been vague about his quirk on purpose. He didn’t want anyone in the school to know what he and Guilmon were capable of.

Momentai. This guy’s just jealous.

This time, Takato could imagine Terriermon telling him just that… with less tact.

Don’t let him get under your skin, Gogglehead. If you get angry, he wins.

Taking a deep breath, Takato forced all of his anger out. If he lashed out now, he and Gigimon would be the ones to suffer for it, and they would only force more work on Tsukauchi. He didn’t want that.

“You have no idea what you’re talking about,” Takato told Ishida coolly. “Now, move.”

Ishida seemed disappointed that Takato hadn’t risen to his bait and opened his mouth to say something else when another voice interrupted him.

“Get out of the way. You’ll make us all late at this rate.”

Other voices joined the first complaint, and Ishida was forced to comply, backing away and allowing everyone to leave.

“This isn’t over,” Ishida warned Takato, who ignored him.

That could’ve gone better.

Takato’s heart slowly stopped racing as he reached the bathroom. He changed quickly but took a moment to splash cold water on his face to give him a chance to calm down.

He didn’t know why Ishida chose to target him, but he would have to be careful not to get trigged by the other boy’s callous words and actions. Takato was no stranger to bullies, having suffered at their hands before he became friends with Kazu, Kenta, and Jeri. He could normally keep his emotions better in check, but it would take time for him to regain that control after everything. He had to figure it out fast since his new abilities were particularly reactive to his emotions.

A wave of concern coursed through Takato, which he recognized as Gigimon’s. Smiling softly, he sent mental reassurance to his now awakened partner. Takato didn’t want his partner to worry, or the Digimon would try to come to him and likely get into trouble. Guilmon didn’t have the best track record with schools.

Takato took a deep breath and returned to the gym to join the other students.

“You’re late,” the PE teacher frowned. “It shouldn’t have taken you so long to change, even with your accommodation.”

“I got sidetracked on my way back. It won’t happen again.”

The teacher huffed but accepted the apology. He instructed Takato to do ten laps around the gym as a penalty, which the Tamer did without complaint.

Physical activity may have been his weak point in the past, but not now. Ten last couldn’t compare to what Gankoomon put Takato through, and in all honesty, running helped clear the Tamer’s mind of any lingering negative emotion.

Thanks to his enhanced speed and stamina, Takato completed the laps in no time and joined the class. His teacher stared at him, something clearly on his mind.

“Have you ever considered joining the track team before, Mr. Matsuki?” The teacher asked.

“Not really,” Takato replied. “Why do you ask?”

“You may want to consider it in the future. Something tells me that you would thrive in that environment.”

“I’ll think about it,” Takato replied, although he knew he likely wouldn’t. He had more important things to worry about other than extracurricular activities. He remained oblivious to the jealous and admiring looks he gained throughout the class. He performed better in activities he previously struggled with before his time in the Digital World.

His first day at school turned out rougher than he’d expected, but he hoped things would improve once the novelty of his transfer faded away.

Chapter Text

“How was your first day at school?” Makoto asked Takato when he came home.

“It could’ve been better, could’ve been.” Takato shrugged as he dropped his backpack and placed Gigimon down.

Now free to do as he pleased, Gigimon digivolved to Guilmon and immediately went to the food Makoto left for them.

“Slow down and leave some for Takato,” Makoto scolded the Digimon, who immediately obeyed.

“Go ahead and eat, Guilmon. I’m not hungry.” Takato patted his partner’s head, who resumed his feast.

“You’ll never grow if you keep giving all of your food to Guilmon,” Makoto said, frowning.

“I ate enough at lunch,” Takato reassured her, even though he’d given most of his lunch to Guilmon too. Takato hadn’t experienced any adverse side effects from eating so little yet despite his diminished appetite. It was as if Guilmon ate enough for them both.

Makoto didn’t look convinced, but she didn’t pursue the matter either as she took out what she needed to make dinner.

“Can I help with dinner?” Takato asked.

Makoto shook her head.

“I appreciate the offer, but shouldn’t you work on your homework first?”

“I finished my homework at lunch. Well, most of it, anyway.”

Makoto raised an eyebrow.

“How studious of you, but shouldn’t you have spent your time trying to make friends?”

“I could’ve, but I needed some space,” Takato replied. “My classmates kept bombarding me with questions at each break. It was exhausting.”

“Everyone gets curious when there’s a new student,” Makoto said, wincing in sympathy. “They should calm down soon.”

“I hope so,” Takato said.

“What do you have left in terms of homework?” Makoto asked, pausing her efforts to make dinner to give him her full attention.

“History.”

“I can help you if you’d like.”

“That would be great, thanks.”

“So, what do you mean that your day could have been better or worse?”

“I think I made a bad first impression,” Takato admitted.

“What happened?” Makoto asked.

“One of the students tried to take Gigimon, and I didn’t respond as well as I should have,” Takato said.

“How did you react?” Makoto asked, giving Takato her full attention. “I grabbed her arm and glared at her. I didn’t realize I was doing it, but I scared her,” Takato said.

“Given everything you’ve been through, your reaction was perfectly natural. A stranger tried to take what was most important from you without permission. You didn’t react that way when I took Gigimon from you, but perhaps it would be better to ask before I did that again,” Makoto said after a few moments of silence.

“The other students in the class didn’t see it that way. I didn’t react that way with you because I trust you.”

“The other students don’t know your history. I’m sure you’ll be able to make friends easily once they get to know you.” Makoto ruffled his hair.

Takato chewed his lip. On the one hand, he missed having a connection with someone his age, but he was scared to make one at the same time.

“What’s on your mind” Makoto placed a hand on his clenched fist.

“If I make friends, I’ll only put them in danger.”

“There’s no way to know that,” Makoto countered, stepping close to pull him into a loose hug.

“As long as he is still out there, everyone around me is in danger.” Takato stood up and started to pace as his anxiety spiraled out of control. “Especially you two. Maybe I shouldn’t be here. It would be better if I….”

“Don’t run,” Makoto cut him off, her eyes widening in alarm. “You’ll only put yourself in more danger.”

“But you’ll be safe,” Takato argued.

“If you leave, I will find you,” a new voice said. “And I would bring you right back here.”

Takato, Guilmon, and Makoto turned as Tsukauchi entered the room, Eraser Head in tow.

“I’d help,” the underground hero drawled. “So do us all a favor and stay put, Problem Child.”

Takato wanted to argue but found that the presence of the two authority figures had a calming effect on him.

Makoto looked between them all before clearing her throat.

“I’ll be back soon. I have to get some groceries before I can finish dinner,” she said. She grabbed her purse and hurried out, leaving Takato alone with Tsukauchi and Eraser Head.

“Do I need to ask you what led you to that train of thought?” Tsukauchi asked.

“Makoto asked why I didn’t want to make friends, and then I… well, you know what happened next,” Takato said, avoiding his guardian’s eyes.

“You catastrophized,” Tsukauchi surmised. “Running away would only play right into Daemon’s hands.”

“You’re right in that there is a danger involved in your situation, but that’s why we’re working on strengthening the security net around you. That’s where U.A. comes in,” Eraser Head added as they settled on the living room couch, Takato and Guilmon sandwiched between the adults.

“Is that why you’re here?” Takato asked, craning his head to see the underground hero. “You already had your meeting with the principal.”

Eraser Head nodded.

“Principal Nedzu wants to meet you. This Sunday.”

“Why then?” Guilmon asked.

Eraser Head raised an eyebrow as if telling them they should know why.

“No school that day. No students around and fewer distractions.”

“He wants us to go to U.A.?”

“There are more resources at the school. Principal Nedzu would like to run some tests and properly evaluate the extent of your and Guilmon’s abilities,” Eraser Head explained. “Only with your consent, of course.”

Takato was no stranger to examinations. Hypnos ran many tests on all of the Tamers following the D-Reaper incident to ensure the children suffered no after-effects from fusing with their partners or from fighting within the D-Reaper.

Takato trusted Yamaki and the Monster Makers. He didn’t know anyone at U.A.

“You’re sure that we can trust them?” Takato asked.

Both Tsukauchi and Eraser Head nodded.

“It’s better than the Hero Public Safety Commission,” Eraser Head said, and Takato frowned.

“The Hero Commission? Aren’t they the ones who oversee all heroes? You don’t trust them?”

“While they may look after the general public's wellbeing, I don’t think they would look after yours. You and Guilmon are the gateway into a world nobody is ready for. If the Commission learned the truth about you, there’s no telling what their intentions would be. There is a chance they could protect you the way we hope they would, but they could also choose to study you instead. Worst of all, if they determine you to be as big a threat as Daemon, they could choose to incarcerate or kill you instead.”

Takato and Tsukauchi shared a glance, both thinking of the Digital Hazard. If the Commission were to learn about that, the worst-case scenario that Eraser Head described may come to fruition.

“Not all organizations have your best interest at heart like Hypnos had,” Eraser Head pointed out, misunderstanding the meaning behind Takato and Tsukauchi’s silent conversation.

“I guess not,” Takato conceded. “What makes you so sure that U.A. would be any different?”

“Let’s just say that Principal Nedzu would be the last person to allow anyone to turn you and Guilmon into lab rats,” Eraser Head declared.

“Why do you say that?”

“You’ll see,” the underground hero replied with a smirk, seeming to revel in Takato and Guilmon’s confusion.

This is U.A.?

Takato gaped at the massive campus stretched out before him. He never expected a school to look like this.

“Impressive, isn’t it?” Tsukauchi asked him, smiling at Takato and Guilmon’s awestruck expressions.

Takato nodded dumbly before turning to the other adult who had escorted him to Musutafu.

“You went to school here, Eraser Head?”

“That’s right,” the underground hero confirmed. “And call me Aizawa while I’m off duty.”

“Okay… Mr. Aizawa,” Takato replied, testing the name out. It was weird to have a name to attach to the hero finally. It made him more human.

“Are you ready to meet Principal Nedzu?” Aizawa asked.

“I guess so,” Takato replied, his nerves rising again as he remembered the purpose of their visit.

The first week of school passed uneventfully after the first chaotic day. Takato had attempted apologizing to his seat neighbor through baked goods, and it seemed to have worked. It was hard to tell since Koda didn’t talk to anybody, but at least he didn’t overtly avoid Takato anymore either.

The baked treats also softened the hearts of most of his other classmates, aside from Ishida and his friends, who chose to ridicule Takato for his “girly” habit instead.

Takato found it better to ignore them, and therefore, his time at school passed by without any further incident.

So far.

Takato didn’t trust his luck to last after everything he’d gone through, but that wasn’t his concern right now.

Aizawa had offered to take Takato to U.A. by himself over the weekend. Still, Tsukauchi had been reluctant to allow Takato to go that far away without him, even if he knew Takato was safe with Aizawa and Guilmon by his side.

Takato didn’t know what to expect from the meeting. He knew virtually nothing about Nedzu other than that he was the Principal of U.A. and apparently, very smart.

Takato didn’t know if he could trust the principal. All he had was Aizawa’s word that he could be.

Guilmon nudged him, catching his attention.

“Everything will be okay, Takatomon.”

Takato watched his partner’s smile and patted him on the head.

“Thanks, Guilmon. Let’s go.”

Fifteen minutes later, the four stood in the Principal’s office, and Takato and Guilmon had a new reason to gawk.

“Are you a Digimon?” Guilmon asked before striding over to the humanoid mouse, sniffing at him curiously. “You don’t smell like a Digimon.”

“Guilmon, come back. People don’t normally like it when their personal space is invaded without their consent,” Tsukauchi scolded.

“Sorry.” Guilmon’s ears drooped as he returned to Takato’s side.

Nedzu chuckled.

“It’s quite alright. It is not every day that I encounter a creature as unique as I am. As someone who works in Academia, I can’t fault anyone for their curiosity.”

The mouse approached both Takato and Guilmon.

“Allow me to introduce myself properly. I am Principal Nedzu, and no, I am not a Digimon. I take it that is what you are?”

Guilmon nodded and then introduced himself.

“That would make you Mr. Matsuki, am I right?” Nedzu asked Takato, who nodded. “Please be seated. Would any of you be interested in some tea before we get started?”

“Do you have anything to eat?” Guilmon asked instead, much to Takato and Tsukauchi’s chagrin.

“You just ate on the train,” Takato pointed out.

“That was then. This is now.”

It was hard to tell, but Takato felt that Nedzu was amused as he observed them.

“We can arrange food. I’ll bring you to the cafeteria after we finish our conversation.”

“Okay,” Guilmon chirped happily, settling down with the promise of a meal.

“Eraser Head gave me a brief overview of your situation, Mr. Matsuki, but I would like to hear from you.”

“What do you know so far?” Takato asked, not sure where to start.

“Eraser Head advised me that you have unique abilities that have attracted a dangerous enemy. He also told me that you and Guilmon possess knowledge that could spell trouble if made public.”

“That’s putting it lightly.” Takato glanced a Aizawa. While he was glad that the hero had kept his promise not to give away too much information without his consent, Takato was surprised that what he told was enough for the Principal to agree to the meeting.

His confusion must have been apparent on his face as the Principal was quick to continue.

“Eraser Head would not have come to me about this matter if it was not important. He is not the type to waste time. If it is okay with you and your guardian, I would like to hear more about your situation, starting with what a Digimon is.”

Tsukauchi gave Takato a nod of encouragement, and the Tamer began his story again for the third time since he entered this new world only a few weeks before.

Chapter Text

“You created Guilmon from a drawing you slashed through the device you call a D-Arc?” Nedzu asked Takato.

“That’s right.” Takato was glad that the Principal had waited until he finished his tale to ask questions, even though it was clear that Nedzu had many. With no interruptions, Takato had managed to share everything he’d meant to without getting sidetracked.

“May I see your D-Arc?” Nedzu asked next, holding his paw out.

Takato handed the digivice over, resisting the urge to reclaim it when the D-Arc left his hand. He had relaxed in Nedzu’s presence a little, but not enough to be at complete ease in unknown territory.

Nedzu studied the D-Arc with great interest. He remained silent for a few moments as he explored the features and only returned his gaze to Takato once he sated his curiosity.

“How did you get your D-Arc again?”

Takato blinked. He thought he’d gone over that earlier, but from the look in Nedzu’s eyes, he had a reason for asking.

“A mysterious Blue Card I found turned my card reader into my D-Arc.”

“What I want to know is why you found the Blue Card in the first place. Why did it come to you out of everyone it could have possibly gone to?”

Takato ran a hand through his hair as he considered the question.

“My friends and I all shared one desire despite the varying circumstances that led us to become Digimon Tamers. We all wanted a Digimon partner. There are creatures in the Digital World known as DigiGnomes, and from what Shibumi told us,  those creatures helped make our dreams reality.”

“There are creatures in the Digital World capable of granting wishes?” Nedzu asked, brows furrowing. “It may be best for you to keep that from becoming common knowledge. There are far too many people out there that would kill to take advantage of that.”

“That information won’t leave this room,” Aizawa said from where he leaned against the wall in the corner of the room.

“How are you so sure that there were no other Tamers aside from your friends?” Nedzu asked.

“There’s no way of knowing for sure, but no other Tamer came forth to fight against the D-Reaper, and nobody else helped us during the Parasimon invasion. Hypnos didn’t receive any report of non-registered Digimon other than the Wild Ones we dealt with regularly.”

“That doesn’t mean there aren’t any out there,” Nedzu said. “I doubt Hypnos could monitor every aspect of digital activity.”

“It’s possible,” Takato conceded. “I don’t see what that has to do with my situation here.”

“From what you’ve told me, the Digital World runs parallel to the Real World, the many out there, including ours. Until your arrival, the barrier between our worlds remained unbroken, but there’s no way to know if the rift that allowed your arrival has closed. We could start having Bio-emergences as well, and if that happens, we may not only face new threats but also see the birth of a new set of Tamers.”

“That wouldn’t be good.” Tsukauchi crossed his arms, quickly elaborating when Takato shot a wounded look in his direction. “I’m not saying being a Tamer is bad, but this world has different dangers than your own. The children have grown up in a very different society. If they gained their own Digimon partners, it would lead to chaos. They could be as discrete as you attempted to be, or they could choose to be upfront about it. They could choose to become heroes, vigilantes, or villains. Either way, they would expose the Digital World and its secrets before we could do anything about it.”

Takato shuddered, imaging the worst-case scenarios. He could understand their worry better now.

“There’s no way of knowing if that will happen or not,” Nedzu said. “It would be difficult to control all of the variables. All we can do is keep an eye out. Your D-Arc is capable of detecting Bio-emergences, right?”

Takato nodded.

“But the range isn’t that large.”

“If we’re able to extract the information from your D-Arc, we could try to create a monitoring system that covers a larger area.”

“All Might’s friend from I-Island, David Shields, responded to my request for assistance a few days ago. It may be possible to coordinate with him to create a proper monitoring network,” Tsukauchi said. “We can tell him only what he needs to know. All Might reassured me that the man is trustworthy and good with discretion.”

Nedzu nodded in satisfaction.

“It’s a start. We will also have to develop Firewalls against Daemon.”

“Guilmon may be able to help with that,” Aizawa suggested.

“It’s possible, but given Guilmon’s nature as a Digimon born in the Real World, his ability to hack the digital network may be limited. From what Mr. Matsuki said, Guilmon doesn't have the same knowledge as other Digimon, whereas Daemon has years of knowledge and experience behind him. If we were to base our Firewalls on Guilmon, Daemon would be able to break through them with ease.”

“Aww…” Guilmon’s ears drooped in disappointment.

“That’s not to say you won’t be able to help, Guilmon. Observing your efforts could at least give us a starting point.”

“I’ll do my best!” Guilmon promised.

“That’s all we can ask of you,” Nedzu said before turning to Takato. “You said that your and Guilmon’s data got mixed up when you arrived in this world, granting you the abilities you now possess.”

“It’s the only possible cause that makes sense to me,” Takato replied.

“The question I have is how that would happen when you two are very distinct beings. What circumstances could have led to your data mixing?” Nedzu asked.

Takato stiffened. He had done his best to keep all information about Biomerge digivolution hidden from the adults, but Nedzu was dangerously close to the truth.

He knew he couldn’t keep it a secret forever. Still, as he thought of how Tsukauchi and Aizawa reacted to him voluntarily walking into danger, he felt justified in keeping this secret.

Right now, Aizawa and Tsukuachi thought Guilmon was the only one who fought. If they learned the full extent of Takato’s involvement in battle, they might restrict him more than they already had.

Gallantmon, if Takato and Guilmon were ever capable of regaining that form, was their trump card. They spent so much time in that form that Takato felt empty now that they couldn’t achieve the state. Takato didn't think he could comply if the adults forbade him from utilizing the evolution.

It was better for the adults not to know,

“As Guilmon evolves to higher levels, our connection deepens. Guilmon fought against Daemon at Mega level, and our bond was at its strongest. We shared our strength and energy. Crossing over while in that state must have had unexpected side effects,” Takato replied, choosing his words carefully, knowing Tsukauchi would catch him if he veered too far from the truth.

The gleam in Nedzu’s eyes told Takato that the Principal could see past his vague response, but Nedzu chose not to confront him, to the Tamer's relief. Yet.

“I would like Recovery Girl to examine you. It will help us better understand what changes you went through with the merger.”

“Okay.” Takato was nervous about the examination, not knowing Nedzu as well as he had Hypnos. Still, he wanted answers as much as the others in the room did.

“Follow me.”

When Aizawa requested his help, Nedzu was intrigued. He wanted to know more about the boy with unique abilities. There had to be a reason the underground hero chose to come to him over the Hero Commission.

Nedzu knew there was something different about Takato from the moment he laid eyes on him, and it wasn’t just his saurian companion.

Nedzu’s every instinct screamed at him and told him one thing.

The boy in front of him wasn’t human. Not entirely.

He also noticed that, despite how surprised Takato and Guilmon were when they saw him, it wasn’t the way others reacted to the Principal at first sight.

Most people were unnerved by the chimera, but neither Takato nor Guilmon displayed that unease.

As Takato and Guilmon shared their story, Nedzu soon understood why Aizawa came to him.

Humans couldn’t be trusted with this knowledge. They would use it to bring about their ruin.

Anger burned through Nedzu as memories of the experiments he’d been subjected to ran through his mind. He had no doubt Takato and Guilmon would suffer similar atrocities if the wrong people learned the truth about them.

Nedzu wouldn't allow that to happen.

He had been initially suspicious of Takato as he admitted to creating Guilmon, the cynical part of him confident that the boy would be the type to grow bored and dispose of his creation the way human children were prone to do with their old toy. His fears were dashed as Takato continued to speak. The Tamer’s love for Guilmon was clear to see. Their connection was more profound than anything Nedzu had witnessed before. If he had been the type to believe in it, Nedzu would almost say that their bond was that of soulmates.

The further Takato went into his story, the more Nedzu felt that the boy was hiding something. Not enough to question the boy’s trustworthiness, but enough to catch Nedzu’s attention.

The boy’s story had been straightforward until he got to the point where one of the Tamed Digimon had been killed by a friend who had betrayed them.

Takato had faltered as he spoke of the situation, and his explanation of how the Tamers survived and resolved the problem remained unclear.

That’s it. Nedzu realized what it had been about the situation that stuck out to him.

Gallantmon and the other Mega level Digimon.

Takato hadn’t hesitated to share how the Digimon achieved Champion and Ultimate levels, either through Modify cards or danger triggering the evolution. But when it came to how Tamers reached Mega level, Takato remained strangely vague.

The Tamer had also faltered as he spoke of certain events as if he had been fighting and not just Guilmon. His stumbling words could be passed off as him just getting too involved in his storytelling, but Nedzu felt there was more to it, especially when Takato clammed up when Nedzu asked about how he had ended up with Guilmon’s data inside of him.

Nedzu wanted to dig more into the matter, but without Takato’s trust, he wouldn’t get anywhere in obtaining his answers. For now, he would learn what he could from his observations.

Despite knowing Takato had suffered many injuries at Daemon’s hands, Nedzu was still caught off guard by the sight of Takato’s scars.

“How cruel,” Recovery Girl hissed, lips thinning as she examined Takato. “I wish I could remove these scars for you, but that’s beyond my capabilities. Do they still hurt you?”

“Sometimes. There are moments where I feel like I still have— Never mind.”

“Still have what?” Recovery Girl asked, but Takato shook his head.

“It’s nothing.”

Recovery Girl looked ready to press further, but Nedzu shook his head.

It was clear that Takato didn’t want to speak about the matter. It wouldn’t do them any good to push for more than what the Tamer was willing to give.

Recovery Girl drew some blood from Takato and went off to get them processed, leaving Takato alone with the other adults for a few moments.

“Are all of these scars from Daemon?” Nedzu asked, noting that some of the other scars appeared older.

“No. Some of these come from previous injuries Guilmon received,” Takato replied before pointing to the bite mark on his shoulder. “This one came from the Tiger Deva, Mihiramon.”

“He nearly bit my arm off,” Guilmon recalled with a shudder. “That wasn’t fun.”

“Don’t remind me.” Takato grimaced as he massaged his shoulder. “I was scared out of my mind.”

Tsukauchi turned red, looking like he wanted nothing more than to stick Takato into a protective bubble far from any danger. Instead, he swallowed and took a moment to compose himself.

“I can only imagine what you must have gone through at that time.”

“It worked out in the end,” Takato reassured him. “Guilmon digivolved to WarGrowlmon for the first time and saved the day.”

“Thank God for small - or large in WarGrowlmon’s case - miracles,” Aizawa drawled. “What about the scars on your stomach?”

“The D-Reaper,” Takato replied. “At the beginning of the battle, we couldn’t access our partners’ Mega levels and didn’t know how to fight off the D-Reaper’s agents effectively. The Digimon took a few hard hits before we found a working strategy.”

Nedzu was about to ask why they couldn’t reach Mega level when Recovery Girl returned, forcing them to end the conversation prematurely.

“What’s the verdict?” Tsukauchi asked.

“You’re running behind in both your heigh and weight percentiles,” the nurse told Takato. “You meet the goals for a child of ten years instead of twelve.”

Takato shared a look with the other adults, reaching the same conclusion.

Takato’s time in the Digital World had stunted his growth.

“We will have to monitor you periodically to ensure your growth progresses in the right direction. In the meantime, you need to make sure you eat properly. Your body already shows signs of malnourishment. Your guardian advised me that your intake isn’t how it should be.”

“I’ll try harder,” Takato promised, chastised.

“I’ll see what I can do to try to help ensure you get the appropriate nutrition,” the nurse said,

“Thank you.”

“Your temperature is elevated at 40 degrees Celsius, but it doesn’t appear to hinder your body’s functions.”

“Forty degrees?” Tsukauchi repeated, eyes nearly bugging out in surprise as he gawked at Takato. “How are you still talking? Most people would be in the hospital with a temperature like that!”

“I don’t feel any different,” Takato replied. “I didn’t have a temperature like that when I was in the hospital.”

“Your quirk was also dormant while there,” Eraser Head pointed out. “Your body must have adapted to the change once Guilmon woke up.”

“That makes sense.”

“Your other vitals remain within normal limits, and I saw no abnormalities in your physical exam aside from what we already discussed. I would like you to activate your quirk now so we can take note of the differences.”

Nedzu watched closely as Takato closed his eyes and concentrated, pausing and taking his shoes off before resuming.

Nedzu’s fur stood on end at the sight of the predator in front of him, but he suppressed those instincts as he stared into Takato’s slitted eyes.

“Impressive,” he complimented as he eyed the talons on Takato’s hands and feet. “Have you had the chance to get used to your new form yet?”

“A little, but Mr. Tsukauchi stopped it,” Takato replied with a pout.

“That’s because you practiced on the rooftop where anybody could see you,” the detective countered. “Unfortunately, with everything that’s been going on, I haven’t had the time to arrange a proper training area yet.”

“Leave that to me. I’ll take care of it,” Eraser Head said.

“You’ll get the opportunity to explore your abilities to their full extent today,” Nedzu promised. “What better place to go all out than a school meant to help young hero hopefuls reach their full potential?”

Chapter Text

“Are you ready, Guilmon?” Principal Nedzu asked the Digimon, who stood in front of several targets, while Takato and the adults stood a distance away.

The Digimon nodded, awaiting instructions.

“For this first test, you need to hit all targets as fast as possible. We can get an idea of your speed, accuracy, power, and efficiency,” Nedzu said.

“How will you get all that information from just watching him blow things up?” Takato asked.

“There are sensors installed that will record all necessary data points. We can then compare them to data gathered from this exercise when Guilmon repeats them at higher levels and also with the addition of your modify cards,” Nedzu explained.

“That’s pretty cool,” Takato admitted before frowning. “But Daemon could gain access to this data, can’t he?”

“The data is heavily encoded and will not be recorded in cyberspace. The moment the data is registered, it will be printed out, and the data will then be destroyed. Even if anyone found the documentation, they wouldn’t understand it. I’ve ensured that only I can understand the information resulting from this exercise.”

Takato relaxed a little. The Principal thought several steps ahead. While the plan wasn’t foolproof, Takato hoped that all of the precautions would work out.

“We don’t have to do this if it makes you uncomfortable,” Tsukauchi said, placing a hand on Takato’s shoulder.

Takato shook his head.

“It’s alright. You all need to see what a Digimon can do, and Guilmon could use the excuse to blow off some steam.”

Accepting the response, Nedzu began the countdown. Guilmon’s eyes constricted as he focused on the task.

Takato scanned the targets, trusting his partner to choose the right path to complete the exercise.

Leopardmon emphasized the importance of not wasting a single movement. Every wasted second was another chance their enemy could gain an advantage.

Neither Takato nor Guilmon had mastered that particular skill yet, but it was a goal they strived to reach.

The moment the countdown reached zero, Guilmon charged and unleashed three consecutive Pyro Spheres, eliminating the three targets directly in front of him. At the same time, he rushed straight through the ensuing explosions and leaped into the air, releasing two more Pyro Spheres at opposing corners. These attacks hit the elevated targets with slightly less force than the initial three.

Guilmon used another fireball to propel him further into the air, allowing him to destroy the remaining three targets set higher than the rest with a well-timed Rock Breaker.

Springboarding off the wall, Guilmon raced in the opposite direction, finishing off the remaining targets in quick order.

“That attack packs quite the punch,” Aizawa said as he observed. “Now that I’ve seen this, I have to commend his restraint against the men that attacked you. A direct hit from one of those fireballs could obliterate the average human. At least those whose quirks don’t provide good defensive capabilities.”

“Guilmon never fought humans before that time,” Takato said. “There were only a few times aggressive humans approached me. They would usually run screaming the moment they saw Guilmon.”

“Guilmon certainly cuts an intimidating figure when he wants to, but you’ll find people in this world not as easy to scare,” Tsukauchi said.

“Those guys that attacked me sure seemed scared,” Takato replied.

“They were,” Aizawa agreed. “I witnessed almost all of that altercation after you transformed. Those guys were small-scale. The real villains won’t be as easy to intimidate.”

“Guilmon may not scare them, but wait until they see his higher evolutions,” Takato countered, thinking of one particular beacon of destruction he prayed would never surface again. He had yet to meet a true villain in this world, and he couldn’t vouch for what he didn’t know, but Megidramon inspired fear in even the strongest beings Takato had met.

“I would like to repeat this exercise using your Modify cards before moving on to the next one,” Nedzu said as Guilmon rejoined them.

“Are you up for that?” Takato asked his partner. Guilmon had come a long way from when he was first born, but the Rookie had still used his Special attack in rapid succession. He was tempted to use a Stamina card on his partner, but that may lead to him not being able to use it on Guilmon later when they may need it. Nedzu appeared to have a lot planned for them.

“I’m fine,” Guilmon reassured Takato. “Food would help, though.”

“A promise is a promise,” Nedzu said. “I had Lunch Rush arrange something for you.”

Guilmon perked up as a staff member rolled a table into the gym with numerous sandwiches piled on top of it.

The Digimon glanced at Takato and Tsukauchi, who gave their permission. Without further ado, Guilmon dove into the food with relish.

“You should eat too,” Nedzu told Takato.

“But I’m not hungry,” the Tamer replied, confused by the Principal’s encouragement.

“If you and Guilmon share strength and energy, Guilmon can only be at his best if you are too.”

“You have a point,” Takato said before joining Guilmon with the sandwiches.

Tsukauchi stared after his charge before turning back to Nedzu.

“You had better success getting him to eat than my sister, and I have.”

“His focus on his partner’s wellbeing supersedes his focus on his own,” Nedzu said.

“I’ll have to keep that in mind.”

After Takato and Guilmon finished eating, Nedzu ran through a repeat of the exercise with Modify cards and then an activity with moving targets.

By the time they finished, Guilmon did need the Stamina card.

“You have amazing combat ability at Rookie-level alone. I’d like to see your Champion level now if you have enough energy to do so,” Nedzu said.

“I could use a break,” Guilmon admitted with an apologetic smile.

“That’s okay,” Nedzu reassured him before turning to Takato. “We should look at what you are capable of with your new abilities. Are you up for it?”

Takato nodded, eager to explore what he was capable of.

“Do you want him to do the same exercises as Guilmon?” Tsukauchi asked, curious what they planned for Takato.

Nedzu and Aizawa both shook their heads.

“How would you feel about sparring against me?” Aizawa asked Takato, surprising both him and Tsukauchi.

“Isn’t it a little too soon to have him spar against you?” Tsukauchi asked. “Takato doesn’t have the same level of combat experience as Guilmon does.”

“About that,” Takato began while rubbing the back of his neck. Before he could continue, Aizawa interjected.

“When I found you in that alley, two of the four goons were down for the count before Guilmon woke up and took over your body. If you didn’t have any combat experience, that situation would have gone very differently even when considering your new abilities.”

“Digimon didn’t only attack Guilmon,” Takato said. “We Tamers were considered easy targets. Our partners always protected us, but when Guilmon and I ended up trapped in the Digital World, things were a lot harder, and I sometimes had to fight. That’s why the Royal Knights trained me too. I refuse to be a liability for Guilmon.”

“If he’s used to fighting Digimon, he shouldn’t have difficulty sparing against me,” Aizawa pointed out. “Don’t worry. I’ll go easy on him.”

Takato knew Aizawa was trying to reassure Tsukauchi, but he couldn’t help but take those words as a challenge.

They didn’t realize that he had an intuitive knowledge of utilizing his new form, thanks to his bond with Guilmon and his experience as Gallantmon. He just had to learn how to use it in a way that would be less destructive.

Humans weren’t nearly as strong as Digimon, and both Takato and Guilmon had to learn how to hold back.

Takato and Guilmon were used to fighting to kill. That type of action wouldn’t be acceptable in this world.

Aizawa would be an ideal opponent as he would be able to suppress Takato’s abilities if he lost control.

Takato and Guilmon spent so much time fighting in the Digital World that going so long without doing so felt unnatural.

A feral smile crossed Takato’s face. At least now, he could use some of the restless energy built up.

“Do you want me to come?” Guilmon asked Takato, never eager to let his partner fight alone.

“No. I’ll be fine,” Takato promised before he and Aizawa went to the center of the gym, now cleared of all debris.

Takato activated the transformation and took a few moments to acclimate to his new form.

“Ready?” Aizawa asked, and Takato nodded.

Takato’s fight against Daemon’s hired goons hadn’t gone well, but Takato was neither as injured nor as untethered as he had been back then. He wanted to redeem himself with this spar.

He would never be able to meet his fellow Royal Knight’s gazes if he lost hold of everything they taught him.

Humans may be weaker than Digimon, but that didn’t mean they were helpless. Takato knew Aizawa wasn’t someone he could underestimate, which made him an ideal opponent.

Takato wouldn’t have to worry as much about going overboard.

Given that Aizawa meant the spar to allow Takato the chance to explore his abilities, the Tamer doubted Aizawa would use his quirk on him. Nevertheless, Takato knew better than to take that for granted.

Anything could happen in a fight.

Aizawa observed Takato as the boy took his position across from him, noting how the boy slipped into a fighting stance with practiced ease.

Takato learned to fight in a world that followed the Law of the Wild. His experiences would leave a mark on his fighting style. Takato also hadn’t been trained by humans, which meant Aizawa couldn’t expect him to fight the way humans did. He would be hard to predict.

There’s only one way to find out.

Aizawa loosened his capture cloth and sent it in Takato’s direction.

Takato sidestepped the cloth, a familiar glow rising in his throat before he unleashed a Pyro Sphere, not at Aizawa but his feet.

His accuracy isn’t as good as Guilmon’s.

Smoke rose from the crater, obscuring Aizawa’s field of vision and irritating his dry eyes.

He soon realized that Takato’s actions had been intentional as the boy burst through the smokescreen, clawed hands ready to strike.

He’s fast!

Aizawa’s eyes widened as he jumped backward to avoid the attack, unable to block due to the flames dancing around the boy’s arms.

Aizawa had gauged his expectations of Takato’s speed off of Guilmon, but that proved a mistake. Takato was even faster than his partner with his quirk activated, although his attacks didn’t have the same power.

Takato was too close for Aizawa to use his capture cloth as effectively as he would have liked to, so the hero attempted to create more space. The Tamer wouldn’t let him.

As Aizawa and Takato engaged in close combat, the hero couldn’t help being impressed by Takato’s insight.

The boy had only witnessed small examples of Aizawa’s fighting style, and he had already made moves to neutralize some of Aizawa’s advantages.

Still, he should know better than to think he could beat me in close combat.

Aizawa spent years developing his fighting style to help him go against enemies far stronger than himself. Takato may have some tricks, but Aizawa wasn’t so easily defeated.

Aizawa and Takato exchanged blows, one after the other, and the underground hero took notes of the boy’s strengths and weaknesses.

Takato was adept at using his abilities as if he’d always had them, and he certainly knew how to take a hit thanks to the durability his quirk granted him. However, there were times when he didn’t seem familiar with his own body. Takato had moments where he overreached or stumbled as if he expected to be bigger than he was.

To Takato’s credit, he quickly corrected those mistakes to prevent Aizawa from capitalizing on the openings created.

The Royal Knights taught him well.

Aizawa narrowly avoided a fiery claw to the face.

Takato’s fighting ability wasn’t perfect, but Aizawa did not doubt that the boy would be a force to be reckoned with once he polished it.

Takato blocked Aizawa’s return punch with his forearm before forcing Aizawa’s arm away, leaving the hero open to attack. The boy stepped into range and threw another punch out, only for Aizawa to wrap his cloth around his arm and throw him to the side. Takato turned his stumble into a forward roll, twisting back to face Aizawa once he was back on his feet. He didn’t hesitate a moment before closing the distance again, shooting out another Pyro Sphere to prevent Aizawa from attempting to trap him.

Takato’s fighting style was a mix of contradictions. He fought with savagery akin to that of a beast, but his movements became more organized at other moments, displaying the discipline and structure that came from whoever trained him. Aizawa had a hard time predicting what Takato would do next.

The underground hero grunted as Takao slammed his feet into his shoulders, knocking him off balance. The move was similar to an action Aizawa witnessed Guilmon use in one of the earlier exercises.

Everything about Guilmon screamed beast, which was why Aizawa found the Digimon’s Mega form surprising. A knight was the antithesis of what Aizawa expected Guilmon to become. It made him wonder about the other Mega form Takato had alluded to.

Perhaps that form correlates more to Guilmon’s draconic nature?

Takato’s reluctance to discuss the other Mega form hadn’t escaped Aizawa’s attention. Guilmon must’ve taken the other form at one point, and whatever happened at that time couldn’t be good.

Aizawa didn’t have the time to think further as he dodged Takato’s Rock Breaker.

Takato demonstrated skill far beyond what an average eleven-year-old should, especially considering he had only two years of experience. His combat ability exceeded expectations.

How many battles have you fought?

Aizawa could never forget the haunted look in Takato’s eyes when he’d told Aizawa the truth, speaking of everything he and his friends had experienced in their world and the Digital World. Takato hadn’t gone into too much detail about what happened while he and Guilmon were trapped in the Digital World, but whatever happened left a mark. Both Takato and Guilmon displayed behaviors Aizawa had only seen in veteran fighters.

Takato was currently directing half of his attention on restraining his strength. Once the boy could do that without conscious effort, he would become a frightening opponent for even some of the Pro Heroes.

I’ve seen enough. The underground hero chose then to go on a proper offensive.

Takato did his best to keep pace with Aizawa’s passive to active participant shift. Still, his efforts couldn’t last as fatigue set in, finally giving Aizawa the opening he needed to end the spar.

Tripping Takato, Aizawa wrapped one end of his capture cloth around the boy’s legs before using the other end to pull itself over one of the ceiling support beams. Once he landed back on the ground, he pulled on his capture cloth.

Takato, who had been clawing at the cords, yelped as he was pulled off the ground and left dangling upside down.

“Do you concede?” Aizawa asked the spluttering child, who struggled to pull his shirt off his face where gravity had left it.

Takato shot a disgruntled look in Aizawa’s direction before glancing at the capture cloth as if debating on cutting the cloth,

In the end, the boy decided against it and went lax.

“I concede… this time.”

Chapter Text

Takato tried not to feel disappointed over the outcome of the spar. Logically, he knew that his defeat at Aizawa’s hands was inevitable, but he couldn’t stop mulling over his mistakes.

He thought he’d overcome the habit of moving like Gallantmon over the past three weeks, but it all came back when he fought.

Abandoning his humanity to survive in the Digital World had longer-lasting consequences than he’d imagined now that he was amongst humans and unable to transform into the Royal Knight.

He was lucky to realize the new handicap during a spar and not in actual battle. A mistake like that could prove fatal.

He didn’t know if he was angrier at Daemon for robbing him of his strength in the first place or himself for being too weak to regain it.

“Are you hurt?” Tsukauchi asked, scanning his charge for injury.

“I’m fine,” Takato reassured Tsukauchi. In all honesty, his pride hurt more than his body.

“You did well,” Aizawa commended Takato, noticing his disappointment. “You have a good grasp of your abilities and good instincts for battle. Your fighting style has a good foundation for you to build upon. Once your stamina and strength improve, you’ll do even better.”

“That’s high praise coming from him,” Nedzu added. “Things will also change based on your use of Modify cards too. You mentioned that you can use them on yourself even with Guilmon no longer fused with you.”

“I figured it out by accident,” Takato admitted.

“How do you determine who the card works on?” Nedzu asked.

“It’s nothing complicated. I just have to think of who I want it to work on. A lot of what I can do as a Tamer comes from my will,” Takato said. “Even summoning the Blue card.”

“I had some questions regarding that,” Nedzu said as they settled in the cafeteria for lunch.

“What do you want to know?” Takato asked.

“You spoke earlier of a time where you managed to help Guilmon digivolve using a Blue card that one of your friends drew for you. Does that mean you can summon a Blue card using something that is not one of your Modify cards?”

“That’s a good question,” Takato said as he finished his latest bite of food. His spar against Aizawa had finally awakened his appetite. “I never thought about it after we found out how to summon the Blue cards using the Modify cards. We’ve always had our cards in hand.”

“What if you didn’t?” Nedzu frowned. “It won’t be difficult for people to realize the importance of your Modify cards. You will be at a disadvantage if an enemy steals your cards.”

Takato’s brows furrowed as he considered the Principal’s words. Most Digimon they faced rarely bothered with taking the Tamers’ cards from them. The enemy Digimon believed they could defeat the Tamed Digimon alone, or they tried to attack the Tamers instead. They never went for the cards. Once Takato chose to stay as Gallantmon in the Digital World, the Modify cards became the least of his concern.

Humans would think about other ways to weaken Takato and Guilmon. Stealing or destroying the Modify cards would be a valid strategy. Takato didn’t want that to happen, and not just because losing his Modify cards would put him at a disadvantage. His cards, like his goggles and D-Arc, were some of the few belongings he still had from his original world. Takato would have to think of a way to prevent that from happening.

“I’m sure we can get a support item to prevent your cards from being stolen, but it would be good to have a few contingency plans in place in case the worst-case scenario happens.”

“I see what you mean,” Takato said. “It’s worth looking into ways to summon the Blue card without Modify cards.”

Nedzu fished a bookmark out of his pocket and slid it in front of Takato.

“How about you try with this?”

Takato blinked, surprised by Nedzu’s preparations. He wondered how long the Principal had thought about the Modify card situation before bringing it up.

Does it matter?

Takato shook his head. He now knew why Aizawa had been sure that Nedzu could help them. The Principal had a way of noticing more than most would and recognizing that which most people would overlook.

Takato picked up the bookmark and closed his eyes, trying to remember how he’d felt when he’d used Kazu’s fake Blue card to help Growlmon become WarGrowlmon during the fight against Indramon.

After a few moments of willing the card to transform, Takato opened his eyes, and his shoulders drooped.

No luck.

“So much for that idea,” he sighed, putting the bookmark down.

Nedzu didn’t look deterred.

“Perhaps the variables are not right. We can always try again later.”

“You may be right.” The Blue card often came when Takato or the other Tamers needed it the most. Since there was no need right now, it may not appear.

Or Principal Nedzu’s theory is entirely off base.

All they could do was wait and see.

Tsukauchi stood with Nedzu and Aizawa a short distance from Takato and Guilmon at the P.E. grounds. It was finally time for them to witness Guilmon’s digivolutions.

Anticipation bubbled up inside of the detective. He had been curious to see what a Digimon could do at higher levels. Still, he’d worried too much about exposing Takato’s secret to allow Guilmon to digivolve past Rookie level.

If Guilmon’s Champion and Ultimate levels were as big as Takato said they were, any innocent bystander who witnessed it would undoubtedly go into a panic. That was the last thing they needed.

“Ready, Guilmon?” Takato asked his partner, twirling a card in between his fingers.

“Before you start, Takato, I would like you to transform,” Nedzu interjected, earning a confused look from the Tamer.

“Why?”

“Given how your bond with Guilmon has changed after your merger, it may be important to note how digivolution affects you, not just Guilmon. There may not be an effect, but seeing how your abilities mirror Guilmon’s, I believe there will be a noticeable impact.”

Tsukauchi frowned, a new fear taking root within him.

Until now, he had thought Takato would remain unaffected by the digivolution. There was no way of knowing what to expect.

What if Takato gets hurt?

“Are we sure that this is a good idea?”

“I’ll be fine,” Takato reassured him, eyes pleading with Tsukauchi to trust him. “Guilmon doesn’t get hurt when he digivolves.”

“That doesn’t mean you won’t be,” Tsukauchi countered.

“Transforming hasn’t hurt me,” Takato pointed out before shifting into his raptor form and holding his arms out. “See?”

Tsukauchi still had his reservations, but he chose to suppress them for now. There was a lot they didn’t know about Takato’s situation. He couldn’t keep hindering their efforts to find answers due to his cautious nature.

Sighing, he nodded in consent to Takato, who finally relaxed.

“Digi-Modify! Digivolution Activate!”

Takato’s twin Zero units glowed in conjunction with his D-Arc, and the light enveloped the duo.

“Guilmon Digivolve to…”

A startled cry escaped Tsukauchi’s lips as Guilmon and Takato’s skin peeled away, leaving only red digital frameworks in their place. Two large eggs encompassed both Tamer and Digimon.

Takato’s egg grew only a small amount while Guilmon’s grew substantially. A moment later, the eggs burst as the evolutions finished.

“… Growlmon!”

Tsukauchi gaped at Growlmon’s towering form, impressed.

The Digimon stood a little over five meters tall and looked far fiercer than his Rookie form. Guilmon could be intimidating if he wanted to be, but his innocence softened his image. They could not say the same for the draconic Champion with his horns, feral eyes, and the wicked blades attached to his elbows. The presence he gave off was nothing to laugh at.

Growlmon didn’t give off the same power as All Might or even Endeavor, but he was getting closer to it.

Tsukauchi’s eyes then fell on Takato, and he couldn’t help but stare.

Takato didn’t have Growlmon’s tremendous growth spurt, but he had grown several centimeters, and his skinny form had filled out with compact muscle.

Maybe this is a sneak peek of what Takato will look like when he grows up.

Aside from the size difference, Takato’s patchy scale pattern changed to match Growlmon’s and gained distinctive horns and arm blades. His hair was as spiky as Growlmon’s wild mane.

“How do you feel?”

“Weird…” Takato muttered, gaze fixated upwards as he poked at his new horns with fascination. “But not bad.”

“Are all digivolutions so… violent?”

“Not really,” Takato said. “It looks worse than it is now that I’ve experienced it myself.”

“How do you feel at Champion level in comparison to Rookie?” Nedzu asked, having remained silent until this point to make his observations.

Takato flexed his longer, black-tipped claws and bounced from one foot to the other as he acclimated himself to his new height.

“I’d be able to give you a better idea if I had a target to go up against,” Takato admitted. “I’ve got so much energy in me right now... I feel like I’ll explode if I don’t have something to fight.”

Tsukauchi frowned at the evident lust for battle tinging Takato’s words. Growlmon wasn’t the only one who became more feral after digivolving.

Nedzu pulled out a remote and pressed a button on it. Three giant robots came out, facing off against Takato and Growlmon.

“Would these targets suffice?”

Tsukauchi’s eyes widened, and he opened his mouth to question the Principal when Takato spoke instead.

“They’ll do just fine,” Takato said before pausing. “How much damage are we allowed to do? Those robots must cost a fortune.”

Nedzu waved away the concern.

“Don’t worry about the cost. I wish to see you two fight to the best of your capabilities. Don’t hold back.”

With no further prompting, Tamer and Digimon ambled toward their new foes.

Growlmon’s increased size granted him many benefits, but it cost him his speed, allowing Takato to overtake him quickly on the way to the robots.

The fastest of the robots, balanced on one wheel, rushed to meet Takato’s advance, punching out with one massive arm.

Tsukauchi instinctively lurched forward, but Aizawa placed a hand on his shoulder.

“Trust him. Takato’s stronger than you think.”

As Aizawa said, Takato caught the clenched fist in one hand, sliding a few feet backward but not crumbling under the robot’s forward momentum. The arm blade on Takato’s other arm extended out and glowed with white energy.

“Dragon Slash!”

The plasma blade sliced the robot’s arm off at the joint, leaving it unbalanced and crashing to the ground.

Takato impaled the robot with its dismembered arm, rendering it inoperable.

“He’s more efficient when he fights to kill,” Aizawa commented as he crossed his arms. “He’s not hesitating once against the robots. Not like he did against me.”

“…fights to kill….”

Those words rang through Tsukauchi’s mind. He had tried not to think of what Takato and his friends did to defeat their enemies.

In an ideal world, Takato and the other Tamers may have found ways to imprison or return the invading Digimon to the Digital World. The haunted look in Takato’s eyes had a new meaning now as Tsukauchi realized that the Tamers didn’t find such peaceful resolutions to their problems.

Taking a life was no easy task. It didn’t matter if it was done out of malice or for the greater good.

Tsukauchi didn’t believe that Takato remained ignorant of the cost, yet the boy paid it time and time again to protect what mattered most.

Tsukauchi and his sister woke most nights to Takato’s screams, and the siblings had taken turns keeping vigil over the boy at night to try to save Takato from the depths of his nightmares.

Tsukauchi always thought Takato’s nightmares stemmed from the horrors the boy had witnessed. Now he couldn’t help but wonder if maybe Takato was also plagued by his guilt.

It wasn’t the first time the detective thought that Takato could benefit from seeing a behavioral health specialist, but it would be hard to find someone they could trust.

Maybe Hound Dog?

Tsukauchi glanced at Nedzu, making a mental note to ask the Principal about that later.

“RAARH!”

Growlmon wrestled with the giant robot with two missile launchers attached to its back. The Digimon dug his feet into the ground to hold his ground against his opponent. Smoke puffed out of his nostrils, and, for a moment, Tsukauchi feared that Growlmon would attempt to immolate the explosively flammable machine, but instead, Growlmon merely roared again as he hefted the robot into the air and threw it in Takato’s direction.

Tsukauchi opened his mouth to warn Takato, but the boy reacted before he even had a chance.

Takato, now fighting the scorpion robot, glanced upwards as the shadow of the airborne robot blocked the sunlight.

Unfazed, he swiped a card through his D-Arc and seemed to blink out of view as the robots collided in a fiery heap.

Takato reappeared beside his partner, an exhilarated smile on his face.

“Nice work, Growlmon,” he commended as he eyed the now obliterated and flaming robots. “But you didn’t get to show what you were capable of against these robots alone.”

“Then allow me to give you another opportunity,” Nedzu said as he pressed a button.

The ground shook, and both Takato and Guilmon turned to see a giant robot approach.

Takato whistled.

“Wow. That thing could give MegaGargomon a run for his money.”

Tsukauchi marveled over Takato’s complete lack of fear. Most people would find the robot intimidating due to its sheer size alone.

Takato leaped onto his partner’s shoulder, holding onto one of his horns for balance.

“Ready?”

“Always,” Growlmon answered as they raced forward to meet the behemoth’s advance.

Once in range, Growlmon took his Tamer in hand and threw him high into the air. Three pairs of white wings appeared on Takato’s back, courtesy of a quickly slashed card, and he continued to ascend until he was at the same level as the robot’s head.

Both he and Growlmon inhaled deeply before unleashing their attacks simultaneously.

“Pyro Blaster!”

Twin streams of fire engulfed the robot. The metal warped and melted wherever the fire touched, but the robot didn’t stop advancing, earning a disappointed scowl from Takato.

Growlmon’s arm blades started to glow as he closed on the robot, unbothered by the flames.

“Raiden Blade!”

Intense white energy shot out and left large gashes at the robot’s base, staggering it.

Takato’s eyes raked over his Modify cards, lingering on a specific card. He pulled it out with slight hesitation as he inspected his enemy more critically. Before he had time to use it,  Nedzu spoke up.

“While I’m certain you two would eventually be able to defeat your foe in time at your current level, our time together is limited. How about you show us what you’re capable of at the Ultimate level?”

Takato nodded as he returned to the ground, the card in his hand turning into a Blue card.

“Digi-Modify! Matrix Digivolution Activate!”

Again, Takato’s Zero units glowed, and the red light surrounded him and Growlmon.

“Growlmon Matrix Digivolve to…”

The adults waited for the transformation to occur, but then it became clear that something was wrong when the pillar of light around Takato dissipated, and the boy collapsed to the ground, convulsing.

“Takato!” Tsukauchi cried, rushing over as Nedzu deactivated the robot. The detective pulled the boy into his arms, distressed as he saw Takato’s eyes roll in the back of his head. “What’s wrong?”

Takato opened his mouth, trying to speak but unable to as his teeth clenched shut in pain. It took him a few tries before he could choke out a few words.

“… too… much…”

“Too much what?” Tsukauchi asked, wishing he knew how to stop Takato’s pain.

This time, the answer came from Nedzu.

“Power. That’s what he’s talking about,” the Principal realized. “He already spoke of how much energy he had when they digivolved to Champion. Attempting to digivolve to Ultimate level must have been too much for his body to handle with his new constitution.”

“Then how do we stop it?”

“Let me try something,” Aizawa said as he stepped forward and activated his quirk, all of his attention directed towards Takato.

Takato stopped writhing and went limp in Tsukauchi’s arms. Moments later, the light surrounding Growlmon shattered, leaving a confused Growlmon in its place. Once his eyes fell on his unconscious partner, Growlmon reverted to Guilmon and rushed over. He nudged his unconscious Tamer with his snout, and his ears drooped when he received no response.

“Takato…” he whined.

Tsukauchi breathed a sigh of relief as he checked Takato’s pulse and found it steady. The boy was alive and didn’t appear to be in further pain, at least for now.

“Let’s get him to Recovery Girl,” Nedzu advised as Tsukauchi stood up with Takato in his arms.

As they walked, Tsukauchi turned to Aizawa.

“I didn’t think you would be able to cancel out the digivolution.”

“I don’t believe that he did,” Nedzu interjected. “While Aizawa has demonstrated for the second time that he can cancel out Takato’s transformation, from what I can see, I believe the digivolution was canceled due to Takato falling unconscious and cutting off the energy supply needed for the digivolution to take place. You two may not have noticed how the symbols on Takato’s hands didn’t stop glowing until he fell unconscious. Those symbols have glowed every single time Guilmon digivolved. There must be a connection between the two.”

“That’s Calumon’s symbol,” Guilmon said, catching the adults’ attention.

“Calumon?” Nedzu repeated. “That would be the Catalyst of Digivolution you spoke of earlier, right?”

Guilmon nodded.

“So this symbol is what helps Digimon evolve,” Nedzu murmured as he stared at Takato’s limp hands. “That brings up some interesting questions….”

“Like what?” Tsukauchi asked, not following the Principal’s line of thought.

“Takato didn’t have these symbols on his hands before you came to this world, right?” Nedzu asked Guilmon, who shook his head. “If we assume that Takato’s new form was not only a result of his and Guilmon’s data merging on entry, but as a protective adaptation to help Takato survive this world, then it would make sense for the symbol to appear somewhere on his person. Without the symbol, digivolution wouldn’t be possible for them, but that also makes me wonder… is Guilmon the only Digimon that could use the power coming from Takato now that he possesses the power of the Catalyst?”

“He should be, right?” Tsukauchi frowned. “Guilmon’s his partner.”

“That may be the most logical answer, but what if Takato could help other Digimon digivolve as well?” Nedzu said. “That would be another reason for Daemon to go after Takato, especially if he wants to regain his former strength.”

Tsukauchi swore. It was bad enough that Daemon was after Takato for the Digital Hazard. Now the target on Takato’s back had only grown more prominent, especially if other Digimon arrived in their world and realized what Takato was capable of. He wouldn’t have worried too much about Takato’s ability to handle most threats, given how powerful his evolutions were. Still, from what they just witnessed, it was clear that Takato and Guilmon could only muster the strength for Champion level at the moment. In their weakened state, they were more vulnerable than ever.

He could only hope that Daemon never learned this particular bit of information.

Chapter Text

“… heal him?”

“… too little stamina… needs rest….”

Takato’s brow furrowed as voices started to pierce through the fog plaguing his mind.

A groan escaped Takato’s lips, and all sounds stopped.

Takato had just wondered if he’d dreamed the voices up when a hand closed on his shoulder.

“Takato” Are you awake?” Tsukauchi asked softly.

Takato tried to open his heavy eyes but found it a challenge.

He tried to speak next but only managed another groan.

Why am I so tired?

“Don’t push yourself,” Tsukauchi said, wiping Takato’s forehead clear of the accumulated sweat. “Recovery Girl said you drained most of your stamina stores. It may take some time to recover.”

“I would like to heal you, child, but if I tried, it would drain whatever stamina you have left, and that would put you in a worse position,” Recovery Girl spoke up.

I’m in the Infirmary.

That would explain why Takato was lying in a bed.

He raked his mind trying to remember what had happened.

A warm scaled snout nuzzled against him, and, instinctively, Takato’s arms rose to wrap around the familiar form of his partner. The Digimon was smaller than expected, meaning he was currently in his Baby or In-Training form.

As Takato held his partner, memories slowly returned to him.

They had attempted to reach the Ultimate level and failed spectacularly.

When Takato and Guilmon had been unable to Biomerge, Takato had been worried, but he consoled himself with knowing that WarGrowlmon would still be able to withstand most threats.

Now that Takato knew WarGrowlmon was out of the picture, however, the vulnerability he had refused to acknowledge rose within him once again.

Still, Takato and Guilmon had progressed further with this digivolution attempt than they had with Biomerging.

Takato’s body had shut down instantly back then, making it clear that Gallantmon was far out of their reach.

In WarGrowlmon’s case, Takato had felt the digivolution take place, but the amount of power from it overwhelmed his unprepared body.

If Aizawa hadn’t cut his transformation, the digivolution might have succeeded, but at what cost, Takato didn’t know.

Still, WarGrowlmon may not be out of their reach for long. They would work hard to regain their strength.

Resolve renewed, Takato attempted to open his eyes. This time, he was successful.

Wincing at the bright lights, Takato redirected his gaze to Tsukauchi, who hovered nearby.

“How are you?”

Scrunching his nose, Takato took stock of his body’s condition. He ached all over as if his body had been stretched thin.

“I’m fine,” he said, hoping to reassure his guardian, temporarily forgetting about Tsukauchi’s quirk until the man frowned.

“Try that again.”

“I’ve been better,” Takato admitted reluctantly. He chose not to share that he’d been through worse.

“Where do you hurt?” Recovery Girl asked. “Don’t try to underplay your pain either. I can’t help you unless you are completely truthful.”

“Everywhere,” Takato said. “But nothing feels broken, thankfully.”

“There were no fractures noted on the scans we did while you were unconscious,” Recovery Girl confirmed. “What you are feeling is likely muscle strain. You overused your quirk.”

“That would make sense,” Takato murmured as he pushed himself into a seated position with Tsukauchi’s help. “Sorry, I worried all of you.”

“We’re just glad that you’re okay,” Tsukauchi responded.

“It is fortunate that Eraser Head was able to cancel your quirk before any lasting damage could occur,” Recovery Girl advised. “You have a very powerful quirk from the looks of it. Your body, as it is right now, cannot handle the full burden the quirk puts on you. I’ve seen others suffer a backlash from their quirks before. I would advise you to refrain from attempting whatever caused you to end up in this state. At least until your body can keep up with it.”

Takato tried not to let his frustration show. He had initially thought that the new abilities were a good thing, allowing him to assist Guilmon in battle in a way he usually could only do at higher levels. He never imagined the handicaps that came with them.

There was no way for them to know what Daemon was up to at this very moment, but Takato knew the Demon Lord wouldn’t waste a second in regaining his former strength.

How could Takato and Guilmon hope to catch up when the odds were stacked against them? Every attempt the Tamer and Digimon made to become stronger was hampered by the rules and regulations of the new world.

Takato couldn’t help wondering how much progress they would have made if he and Guilmon had chosen to go off alone instead of seeking help from the adults around him, but he quickly dashed the thought from his mind. His impatience had clouded his mind, and that would only lead to poor decision-making on his part. It also wasn’t fair to Tsukauchi, Aizawa, and Nedzu for him to think that way.

The adults had and still were, doing everything within their power to help him. He could never thank them enough for it, knowing he could be in a far worse situation if it hadn’t been for them.

“Chiyo, if you don’t mind, please give us the room. There are some matters I wish to discuss with Takato,” Nedzu requested.

“Very well, but do not, and I repeat, do not, stress him out. He needs to rest,” Recovery Girl advised before leaving Takato with the other three adults.

Once Nedzu locked the door, he turned back to Takato.

“What do you remember?”

“Everything, I think,” Takato said. “We tried to digivolve to Ultimate and failed.”

“It is an unexpected setback,” Nedzu agreed. “But do not let it dishearten you.”

“It’s hard not to,” Takato admitted. “We never had difficulty digivolving to Ultimate after figuring out how to summon the Blue card. In or out of the Digital World.”

“Your current physical status likely has something to do with your current difficulties,” Nedzu mused.

“That’s what I figured,” Takato agreed.

“Despite your origins, your abilities here seem to act similar to a quirk to a degree. Like with all quirks, it may take time and practice to help you use the full extent of your abilities,” Nedzu advised.

“Meaning we can only go up to Champion level right now.” Takato sighed.

“You know what that means, right?” Tsukauchi asked.

Takato shook his head, unsure what his guardian wanted to bring up.

“You will need to be more careful when you are out and about,” Aizawa said. “We don’t know what level Daemon is at currently. If he learns of your weakened state, he may make another attempt to come after you.”

“You and I both know why that would be disastrous,” Tsukauchi pointed out.

Takato couldn’t argue the point. Only he and Tsukauchi knew why Daemon was after him in the first place. They hadn’t had the chance to tell Aizawa yet, and Takato had wanted to wait until he got a better feel about Nedzu before bringing it up.

“I had a few questions for you regarding the marks on your body,” Nedzu said, and Takato stiffened, expecting Nedzu to ask about the Hazard symbol. He was surprised when Nedzu asked about the Zero units instead.

“Guilmon told us that those symbols represent the power of the Catalyst or Calumon as you seem to refer to him.”

“That’s right,” Takato agreed, wondering where the Principal was going with this line of questioning.

“And this symbol provides the power of evolution, right?”

“When used by Calumon, yes,” Takato replied.

“The Zero units on your hands glow whenever Guilmon digivolves. What I want to know is whether or not you would be able to help other Digimon digivolve using the Zero units.”

Takato blinked, glancing down at the Zero units on his hands. The possibility had never crossed his mind. Gallantmon, Sakuyamon, and MegaGargomon all possessed the symbol aside from Calumon, but that didn’t mean they could make other Digimon digivolve the way Calumon could.

“I don’t think so,” he replied.

“Are you certain?” Nedzu asked. “If there is even the slightest possibility and Daemon learns that particular fact, the danger you face is even greater.”

“There’s no way of knowing without coming across another Digimon,” Takato said. He wasn’t particularly concerned about Daemon coming after him for the Zero units. Daemon already wanted him for the Digital Hazard, so his desire to capture Takato wasn’t known. Nevertheless, Takato didn’t believe there would be any chance of Daemon regaining his ability to digivolve from Takato. Guilmon was able to digivolve thanks to the bond between them. Takato possessed no bond with Daemon and would rather die than give the Demon Lord power.

“I’ll be careful,” he promised to reassure the adults.

“Make sure nobody sees you without your gloves. We don’t want anyone getting ideas. You will also have an escort to and from school from now on,” Tsukauchi told Takato with an apologetic smile.

Takato opened his mouth to argue when Aizawa cut in.

“It’s too risky to leave you unsupervised. I know you want your autonomy, but your commute to and from school is where you are most vulnerable. It won’t take long for Daemon to realize that it is the best time to strike against you.”

Takato wasn’t happy about it, but he couldn’t argue against the adults’ logic either.

“Fine,” Takato agreed. Now that he and Guilmon could not reach Ultimate level, their defenses against Daemon were even less. There wasn’t much he could do to convince the adults that they would be okay to move independently.

“I know this setback must be frustrating for you, Takato, but according to the data, you may not be as far off from reaching the Ultimate level as you think,” Nedzu said.

“What do you mean by that?” Takato asked. “How do you know?”

“While you were unconscious, Recovery Girl and I spoke about your bloodwork results. Earlier this week, with your guardian’s permission, we obtained the remaining blood samples from your initial hospitalization. I had Recovery Girl compare both samples, and she came up with some interesting discoveries.”

“Like what?” Takato asked, wondering what his blood had to do with his ability to help Guilmon digivolve.

“As we suspected, your blood does not possess Quirk factors, but that is not the only abnormality noted in your blood. We found what I can only presume to be digital matter within your blood samples,” the Principal said, narrowing his eyes as he observed Takato. “That does not appear to surprise you.”

Takato squirmed under the Principal’s gaze, guilt rising for what he’d kept hidden.

“It would make sense when you consider how Guilmon and my data mixed when we came here,” he said, trying to avoid lying outright. Tsukauchi would catch him red-handed. He’d known of the data inside of him since Yamaki had made all of the Tamers go through a mandatory physical after the D-Reaper was defeated.

“It would,” Nedzu agreed, and Takato relaxed, thinking that would be the end of it.

He was wrong.

“The body normally fights against what it considers foreign, yet your immune system did not produce a response to eradicate the digital matter within you. It is as if your body has already adjusted to the presence of the data inside you. That would take more time than what passed between your arrival in this world and the first blood sample taken.”

Both Aizawa and Tsukauchi seemed intrigued by this, and now Takato had three pairs of eyes trained on him.

“Would you care to explain that?” Nedzu asked Takato.

Takato debated implying that the change resulted from his time in the Digital World, but he knew it wouldn’t work. His time in the Digital World may have had an impact, but it wasn’t why he had data within his body.

Digimon nudged him, catching his attention and silently encouraging him to tell the truth. Takato sighed and conceded.

“I’ve had data within my body since the fight against the D-Reaper.”

“Why?” Aizawa asked, eyes narrowing.

“After returning from the Digital World, our partners couldn’t digivolve to Mega level anymore. They tried their best to fight at the Ultimate level, but it wasn’t enough. The Digimon Sovereigns sent a messenger to help fix that,” Takato explained.

“Something isn’t adding up,” Tsukauchi frowned as he focused a look full of suspicion in Takato’s direction.

Takato grimaced, hating that he’d placed that look on his guardian’s face.

“What do your partners being unable to reach Mega level have to do with you having data in your blood?”

“… Because our partners couldn’t reach Mega level as long as their Tamers were made of flesh and blood.”

“Why is that relevant?” Tsukauchi’s face reddened, and his voice rose as his frustration with Takato’s evasiveness rose.

The Tamer flinched and prepared himself to answer when Nedzu spoke instead.

“Your partners can’t reach Mega level alone, can they?”

Takato’s mouth clicked shut as he stared at the Principal with guarded eyes. He should’ve known that Nedzu would find out what he’d tried to keep hidden.

Despite his interjection, Nedzu didn’t go further in his revelation as he met Takato’s gaze.

“It will be better if you tell them,” Nedzu advised, serious gaze revealing that he would share the truth if Takato didn’t.

The Tamer deflated. He’d known hiding Biomerge digivolution was an exercise in futility, but he couldn’t help but try anyways.

Gigimon nudged Takato with his paw, giving him a toothless smile of encouragement before he digivolved to Guilmon to support Takato better.

Takato stroked his partner’s head, peeked at Tsukauchi and Aizawa surreptitiously, and swallowed nervously, knowing they wouldn’t be pleased with his omission.

“What does Nedzu mean?” Tsukauchi asked now that he could see Takato was ready to answer.

“He means…” Takato began before Guilmon joined him.

“We are Gallantmon.”

“We are Gallantmon.”

Those words were repeated in Tsukauchi’s mind as he struggled to comprehend them. Slowly, the pieces came together.

/“So did your partner defeat Daemon?”

Takato opened his mouth as if to reflexively correct something Tsukauchi had said before thinking better of it.

***

“… There are thirteen of us.”

“Us?” Tsukauchi frowned and turned to Takato, who stiffened before giving the detective a sheepish grin.

“Gallantmon is one of the Royal Knights. There was another Gallantmon before Guilmon, but he died years ago. When they took us in, they offered Guilmon the position.

***

“Bullshit,” Aizawa spat as he stood up. “If you’re going to waste my time with a weak excuse, I might as well leave now.”

“ Sit down. ”

Takato and Guilmon’s voices resonated together in perfect harmony, a strange weight behind their words.

Aizawa stopped short, making the serious gazes of the no longer smiling Tamer-Digimon duo. They exuded a foreboding pressure, making it seem like they were somehow bigger than they were.

***

Aizawa whistled as he scanned Gallantmon’s card.

“Very impressive.”

“Thank you,” Takato and Guilmon said together.

***

“I tried to imagine my fingers turning into claws. I thought it might be like when —” Takato broke off as he seemed to catch himself about to say something he didn’t want to share. “Never mind.”

“What were you about to say?” Tsukauchi asked.

“It’s nothing,” Takato hedged.

“You’re lying,” Tsukauchi said, crossing his arms and frowning. Takato pleaded silently for the detective to let it go, but, this time, Tsukauchi won their silent battle.

Takato’s shoulders sagged.

“I thought it may be like when Gallantmon turns his arm into a lance,” he finally admitted.

“Was that that hard to say?” Tsukauchi asked, not understanding the reason behind Takato’s reticence. This time, the boy just shrugged./

All the signs were there, but Tsukauchi had been too blind to see them.

His mind flashed back to the blurry video he had seen repeatedly of the Fog Bank incidents.

The large silhouette within the gold light had always bothered Tsukauchi. It had been the one part of Takato’s story that hadn’t matched up.

Now Tsukauchi knew better as he stared at Takato and Guilmon, the knight’s shadow superimposing itself on top of them in his mind’s eye.

Takato was Gallantmon. Or at least a part of him.

If it hadn’t been for Takato and Guilmon’s current fused status, Tsukauchi would wonder how a human and Digimon could merge.

Now the main thing he wanted to know was…

“Why didn’t you tell us?”

“You were already concerned when you thought I stood on the sidelines while Guilmon fought. I didn’t want to worry you further by letting you know I took a more active role in battle.”

“That’s still no excuse for keeping vital information hidden,” Tsukauchi said, his displeasure not abating.

“I know.” Takato bowed his head and chewed his lip. “I was afraid you would keep me from using that form if you knew about it, and I couldn’t have that.”

“Is Gallantmon that important to you?” Aizawa asked, taking a softer approach than Tsukauchi.

Takato nodded.

“Guilmon and I spent much of our time in the Digital World as Gallantmon. If I lost him, I would lose myself. I know it sounds weird, but that’s how I feel.”

Tsukauchi remembered some of the odd actions Takato had made in the early days. Now, it all made sense.

“You spent a year as a Digimon?” He asked.

No wonder he sometimes acts as if he doesn’t see himself as human.

“Why?”

“It was safer,” Takato admitted, eyes misting over as he thought of their time in the Digital World. “In the beginning, we tried to keep separate, but we learned hard that doing so was a bad idea. I refuse to be a liability.”

Tsukauchi and Aizawa glanced at each other, neither missing the hard edge that Takato’s voice took at the end. There was a story behind the Tamer’s decision, but it wasn’t one he wanted to share.

“That’s why you move like you’re bigger than you are in a fight,” Aizawa said, likely thinking of their spar.

“Old habits are hard to shake.” Takato shrugged.

“So it would seem,” Nedzu said. “I am curious to know how you and your partner were capable of merging.”

“We call it Biomerge Digivolution,” Takato began. “Only four Tamers, including myself, could achieve this type of digivolution, or at least, that was how it was before I left.”

A sad smile crossed Takato’s face, and Tsukauchi realized the Tamer missed his friends more than he’d let on.

“How were you able to achieve it?” Nedzu asked.

“Each of us had different circumstances that led to us Biomerging. After we shared all our experiences with the Monster Makers, Shibumi suggested that we were able to Biomerge because we — as in Tamer and Digimon — resolved whatever conflict that put us at odds against each other.”

“Like what?” Tsukauchi asked. From what he’d observed, he couldn’t imagine there being any conflict between Takato and Guilmon. Their bond appeared ironclad.

“Ever since Guilmon was born, a part of me always feared him. He became so feral during battles that I could barely control him. His viral tendencies worsened with each digivolution. After we witnessed Leomon’s murder, my fears became a reality, and Guilmon dark digivolved to Megidramon.”

Takato broke off as his voice caught, and he swallowed, looking away from his rapt audience.

Tsukauchi’s eyes fell on the boy’s clenched fists, noting how his blanched skin stretched tightly over his knuckles.

The detective knew how difficult this story was for Takato, but the boy seemed determined to share it.

The time for secrets was over.

“Megidramon?” Aizawa repeated. “I take it he’s the other Mega level form Guilmon can take, right?”

Takato nodded.

“When Leomon died, I was so angry.” Takato took a deep, shuddering breath and continued. “I didn’t want just to defeat Beelzemon; I wanted to tear him apart.”

Tsukauchi winced, now understanding the full extent of Takato’s anger at that time. It took a lot to wish for someone’s death so strongly.

“What happened next?” Aizawa asked, voice devoid of judgment.

“WarGrowlmon responded to my rage and attacked with extreme prejudice, but it wasn’t enough. My desire for revenge was so strong that I… I forced him to digivolve to Mega before he was ready.”

“Hence the dark digivolution,” Nedzu surmised.

Takato nodded.

“I realized my mistake the moment I laid eyes on him. There wasn’t an ounce of the Guilmon I knew within him. Megidramon was hell-bent on destruction, and it wasn’t his fault. It was mine. I realized that I was the dangerous one, not Guilmon.”

“Hatred can overcome the best of us,” Nedzu remarked. “It is a very human reaction to a traumatic event.”

“Did Megidramon kill Beelzemon?” Aizawa asked.

Takato shook his head.

“Beelzemon managed to knock him out. When he was busy gloating, I went to Guilmon, and we made peace with each other. After that, Guilmon and I resolved to fight together. The DigiGnomes granted our wish, and we Biomerged for the first time.”

“What was that like?” Tsukauchi asked, not able to contain his curiosity.

“It was… amazing. I felt like we could do anything we put our minds to. The feeling never gets old,” Takato said with a longing smile.

“What happened after you Biomerged?” Aizawa asked, invested in the story.

“We fought against Beelzemon. It wasn’t easy by any means. Things got messier when he went after my friends who were busy looking for me.”

“Why were they looking for you? Didn’t they realize where you were?” Aizawa asked.

“No. Guilmon and I were the first to Biomerge. My friends didn’t know and were worried about me,” Takato said before realization dawned in his eyes. “Oh…”

“Now, do you know why I’m so upset?” Tsukauchi asked the Tamer. “Not knowing that you and Gallantmon are the same could lead to disastrous results.”

“Sorry. I didn’t think of it that way.”

“Just learn from your mistake, and we will be fine. Stop hiding from us,” Tsukauchi advised.

“We can’t help you if we don’t have all the cards on the table,” Nedzu said, and Takato nodded in understanding.

“Did you kill Beelzemon?” Aizawa asked Takato.

“I won’t lie and say I wasn’t going to. I’d had full intention of ending his life,” Takato said. “But Leomon’s Tamer, Jeri, stopped me.”

Even Nedzu looked surprised by this.

“She, of all of you, had the greatest right to want him dead, but she asked you to spare him?”

“She didn’t want there to be any further bloodshed.”

“There aren’t many people who would be capable of doing that,” Aizawa said.

“She’s one of the strongest of us,” Takato said with a sad smile. “That’s probably why none of us could see the extent of her pain until the D-Reaper took her.”

“You Tamers never cease to amaze me,” Nedzu said. “Your ability to overcome whatever challenge you come across is impressive.”

“Thanks,” Takato replied, scratching the back of his neck.

“While I have many questions for you regarding everything you have shared with us, we can discuss that later. For now, let’s get back to the original topic,” Nedzu said.

“From what I understand, you couldn’t Biomerge in the Real World as long as your bodies were made of flesh and blood. The Sovereigns gifted you with a way to remedy that by turning you into data,” Aizawa summarized, and Takato nodded.

“That’s why there were people in your world who wanted to dissect you,” Tsukauchi realized with horror, remembering his and Takato’s first conversation.

This statement earned startled looks from Aizawa and Nedzu, who had not been privy to that information.

“Unfortunately. At one point, Hypnos tried to find a way to show what the D-Reaper saw. It turns out that the D-Reaper could see straight through the Biomerge to us Tamers within. Since Hypnos broadcasted this on the news... Everyone saw us,” Takato explained, blushing for reasons beyond Tsukauchi’s knowledge.

“They didn’t know what kind of danger they put you in by doing that?” Aizawa asked.

“They didn’t know. We hadn’t told them about Biomerge digivolution yet,” Takato said with a wince. “In hindsight, we probably should have.”

“Probably,” Tsukauchi agreed drily. “So, the data in your body isn’t a unique aspect of your current half-Digimon state.”

“It doesn’t appear to be, but I believe it has an impact on it,” Nedzu said, earning curious looks.

“What do you mean?” Takato asked.

“I compared both blood samples. There is a larger concentration of digital matter within the most recent sample. If my suspicions are correct, the amount within you will only continue to increase, but we will need more blood samples to confirm that. Given your use of Guilmon’s abilities and the digivolutions, I would be curious to know if your body’s physical makeup has changed again.”

Tsukauchi’s eyes widened.

“If Takato’s body is slowly becoming more data than flesh and blood, wouldn’t that mean he would be more like a Digimon?” he asked, worried about Takato losing his humanity.

“Would that be such a bad thing?” Takato asked softly, eyeing Tsukauchi with trepidation. He was afraid that the detective would treat him differently.

“No, it wouldn’t,” Tsukauchi reassured Takato, planting a hand on his head. “Not to me, at least.”

“Nor to me,” Aizawa declared. “Either way, you’re still a Problem Child.”

“It makes no difference to me either,” Nedzu agreed. “Humanity is not something I take great stock in.”

“That’s not to say that it won’t matter to others,” Aizawa warned. “Society went through a significant upheaval when quirks first developed. It took a long time for society to become what it has. The general population still holds a bias against heteromorphs for their nonhuman traits. If they learned about your true nature, there is no telling how they would react.”

“That’s not news for me,” Takato said with a resigned smile. “My friends and I already got a taste of that back home.”

“Humans are a flawed species,” Nedzu said, not hiding the bitterness in his voice. “They beg for salvation and shun their saviors.”

“There are some like that,” Takato agreed, making Tsukauchi want to curse the people who tore the child’s innocence from him. “But they aren’t all that bad.”

“No, they aren’t,” Nedzu agreed, voice softening as he succumbed to Takato’s charms.

“So why did you feel that Takato and Guilmon would be able to reach Ultimate soon?” Aizawa asked, remembering why they had addressed Takato’s digital makeup.

“If my theory is correct and Takato’s body continues to become more digital, the limitations keeping him from achieving the higher forms may decrease. He didn’t have difficulty helping Guilmon evolve in the Digital World when they were both made of data. It that’s the case, it’s only a matter of time before Takato regains the full extent of his abilities.”

“But how long will that take?” Takato asked.

“There’s no way to know right now,” Nedzu said apologetically, causing Takato to grimace.

“Great.”

“Don’t start getting reckless and trying to force your body’s conversion to speed up,” Tsukauchi warned him, predicting where the Tamer’s thoughts lay. “You could just make things worse.”

Takato scowled but, thankfully, did not argue.

Chapter Text

"I'm home," Takato called out as he opened the entrance to the flat he slowly accepted as his new home. He peeked inside when he heard no response, only to find the flat empty.

"Nobody's here," Digimon confirmed, sniffing around.

"Makoto must be running late," Takato mused, more than used to Tsukauchi coming home late.

"Do you want me to wait?" Aizawa asked. He was temporarily assigned as Takato's bodyguard until they could find a better candidate.

"That's alright," Takato said. "I know you have a patrol coming up soon. I don't want to waste your time more than I already did."

A guilty smile crossed Takato's face as he recalled the sight of the underground hero lurking just within visual range while he'd been at school. The Tamer could only imagine what Aizawa would be able to do if he hadn't been stuck babysitting.

"Protecting you is not a waste of time," Aizawa countered. "Protecting the innocent is a hero's duty, as you well know, Gallantmon."

Takato faltered at Aizawa's pointed tone, and he gave the hero a sheepish grin.

"I guess not," he conceded. After the initial confrontation at U.A., Aizawa hadn't addressed the truth behind Gallantmon's existence. Not until now.

Takato chewed his lip before finally asking a question he'd been too afraid to ask.

"Are you mad that we lied?"

Aizawa stared at Takato silently for a few moments, his impassive eyes almost making him regret voicing his insecurity before the hero sighed.

"I can't say I'm not disappointed, but I can also understand why you chose to do so. You've experienced things no child your age should and have forged your path. But from the moment you arrived here, adults snatched your autonomy away. It's only natural for you to cling to what control you had left."

"How come you always seem to understand what's going through my mind so easily?" Takato asked, surprised by Aizawa's observations.

Aizawa's eyes darkened for a few moments before he fiddled with the yellow goggles resting on his neck.

"Let's say… I know what it's like to face hardships when you're young. Just not as young as you are."

Takato was tempted to ask Aizawa what happened, but he refrained. He didn't want to pry.

"A hero's life is rife with sacrifice," Takato said, thinking of Leomon.

Aizawa nodded, not elaborating further.

"Are you sure you'll be fine on your own?" Aizawa asked.

Takato nodded.

"Don't forget to—"

"I'll cover the T.V.s and computer screens. I may look like this right now, but don't forget, I'm still a Royal Knight," Takato promised, rolling his eyes in playful exasperation. Tsukauchi had become increasingly paranoid about Daemon spying on Takato and took a series of precautions when possible. Principal Nedzu advised that he would arrange a device to help keep Takato from prying digital eyes but that it would take some time. Takato didn't know how that would be possible, but he figured he would wait and see what they came up with.

"A Royal Knight who hasn't even hit puberty yet," Aizawa pointed out, smirking as Takato scowled at him.

"Just wait for the day I'll finally surpass you in a fight."

Aizawa chuckled, ruffling Takato's hair and reveling in the Tamer's disgruntled expression.

"You'll have plenty of chances to try during our training sessions. Make sure your guardians know you'll be late tomorrow."

"I'll remind them," Takato promised as he bid Aizawa farewell.

Once inside, Gigimon digivolved, and they both proceeded to cover all of the screens as promised.

After that, they went to the kitchen, where an afternoon snack was waiting for them.

Makoto must have come home already, Takato mused between bites. The meal was still warm, meaning Makoto couldn't be gone for long. Where'd she go?

As if on cue, Makoto entered the flat, happily humming as she placed a bag down on the foyer table.

"You're in a good mood," Takato said as he watched her.

"I'm glad. You're here." Makoto smiled brightly. "I have a surprise for you."

"Is it food?" Guilmon asked with crumbs covering his snout.

"Not this time, Guilmon," Makoto replied with an amused giggle as she beckoned them over. "Do you remember when we went to Naruhata, and I left you for what was supposed to be only a few moments?"

"That's hard to forget," Takato responded, thinking of the Instant Villain attack. "You got into a lot of trouble for that."

"Not my finest moment," Makoto agreed with a grimace. "I'd found something I wanted to get for you, but I'd hoped to keep it a surprise."

"Really?" Takato perked up. He vaguely remembered the bag Makoto had held when Tsukauchi returned him to her that fateful day. "Why did you wait so long to give it? It's been weeks."

"I sent it in for a few modifications," Makato admitted. "I just got the call that it was ready a little while ago."

"Now I'm curious," Takato said, eyeing the bag.

"Go ahead and open it."

With a quick peek at Makoto to ensure it was okay, Takato reached out and pulled out…

A pair of goggles?

Takato stared at the uniquely designed goggles with red rims and a black strap. It would have looked like any other goggles if it weren't for the attachment that reminded him of the Guilmon head crest atop Gallantmon's helm. Yellow lenses lay where Guilmon's eyes would have been.

He couldn't stop gawking at the goggles long enough for Makoto to get self-conscious about them.

"You think it's weird, don't you?" She fretted. "I'd considered giving them to you just as is, but when you started talking about wanting to be a hero, I thought this could be a part of your future costume since you love goggles. You don't have to wear them if you don't want to. I know it was presumptuous of me to think you'd want to replace your current pair, even if they're broken. You treasure them. I can take it back if you don't like—" Makoto babbled, reaching for the goggles before Takato took her hand and smiled.

"I love them," he reassured her. "I would be honored to include them as part of my future hero costume… if I ever become one, that is."

Makoto's eyes softened as she detected no lie in his words. She pulled him into an embrace.

"There's no 'if' about it," she told him. "You'll be a hero. I know it."

Takato smiled, warmth filling him in the face of her steadfast belief.

"So, were the goggles the only reason you were late today?" Guilmon asked.

Makoto shook her head.

"I tutored one of my classmates in return for a tour of Naruhata later this weekend."

"Naruhata?" Takato repeated. "You're still looking into those vigilantes you mentioned before?"

"That's right," Makoto said. "You could come with me if you like."

Takato opened his mouth to respond before hesitating. He was also interested in the vigilantes, particularly in the face of Tsukauchi's determination not to let Takato go down that path. A part of him wanted to say yes and go with Makoto, but he knew it wasn't plausible.

Takato wasn't allowed to go anywhere without a hero escort, which would counteract Makoto's intentions, to begin with. On top of that, Tsukauchi had made it clear that he wanted Takato to keep away from Naruhata and the detective's current investigation.

"I don't think your brother would be happy to let me go. H was angry enough the last time we went there. I don't want you to get in trouble again," Takato said.

"I won't let you out of my sight this time," Makoto said.

"Even so… I have to go back to U.A. again this weekend," Takato said with an apologetic smile.

"More tests?" Makoto asked. "Both you and Naomasa looked completely exhausted when you came back last weekend. What more do they need?"

Takato shrugged, unwilling to go into further details out of fear of her learning more than what was necessary. Her disappointed expression planted seeds of guilt within him, but he feared that she would be in more danger if she knew the truth.

She was as stubborn as her brother, and Takato worried she would get caught in something dangerous if she knew what they were against. Makoto wasn't the type to stay idle.

"Be careful when you go to Naruhata," he said instead. "Who knows when the next Instant Villain shows up?"

"I will be," Makoto reassured him as a grin spread across her face. "You're beginning to sound like Naomasa. At this point, you two will be like father and son."

Takato scratched the back of his neck, looking away to hide his flushed cheeks.

He still held some ambivalence about considering Tsukauchi as a father figure. Still, he couldn't deny that the detective had started to chip away at the walls Takato had put up, especially now that Takato had no more secrets to hide.

Takato had expected Tsukauchi to ream him out after they came home from U.A., but the detective hadn't done that.

Instead, Tsukauchi remained silent until later that night, when he came to Takato's room and calmly asked to hear an unedited version of Takato's story.

Takato never imagined how freeing it would be to share the whole truth with someone, letting go of some of the weight that had remained glued to his shoulders. Takato felt he had found a path toward healing from the trauma over the past few years.

Chapter Text

“You’re quiet today,” Aizawa commented between sparring sessions with Takato the following week. “Are you still worrying about lending your D-Arc to Principal Nedzu?”

“I feel naked without it,” Takato replied after chugging a half bottle of water. He had never gone anywhere without his digivice since becoming a Tamer, and it left him uncomfortably vulnerable now that it wasn’t in his possession.

Principal Nedzu had requested to borrow the D-Arc during their latest meeting in hopes of building a Digimon detection grid and attempting to understand more of how the device worked.

It had taken much convincing for Takato, but he’d eventually relented. He may not have found a portal to the Digital World yet, but that didn’t mean there weren’t weaknesses in the barrier between worlds that either side could exploit. If the worst was to happen, this world needed more ways to detect it aside from the limited range of Takato’s D-Arc.

“You know Professor Nedzu will keep your D-Arc safe, right? You’ll have it back before you know it,” Aizawa pointed out.

“Logically, I know that. But this,” Takato gestured to his heart, “Keeps telling me differently.”

“That’s understandable,” Aizawa said. “I see many people feel the same way when I erase their quirk.”

“It doesn’t help that Detective Tsukauchi is on high alert now that I don’t have my D-Arc. He put a tracker in my phone this time. I thought he was overprotective before, but this takes the cake. I think he may have my mother beat,” Takato said.

“He wants to make sure you get back to your mother in good health,” Aizawa said. “Try to see things from his point of view. He took responsibility for you even after knowing all the risks that came with it. If anything goes wrong, countless consequences could come from losing custody of you to your dying and the world losing its greatest protector against Daemon. Then there’s also the chance that Daemon could capture you, and who knows what would come out of that.”

Takato knew what would happen if Daemon got his hands on him, but he wasn’t ready to talk about the Digital Hazard. He’d have to speak with Tsukauchi and see how to address it. He couldn’t keep it a secret forever.

“I guess when you put it like that, I can understand. I don’t want Detective Tsukauchi to lose custody of me either.”

“Now that I think about it, if that were to happen, you could always become a ward of U.A., so we may not need to worry as much as we used to,” Aizawa said as an afterthought.

While having a backup plan was reassuring, Takato didn’t want to leave Tsukauchi and Makoto. As much as he’d tried to resist, he was already attached.

“Are you ready to resume training, or is there anything else bothering you?” Aizawa asked.

“Nothing important,” Takato denied, not wanting to bother the hero with trivial school concerns.

They would swim during the following physical education class, and Takato worried about exposing his tattoos and scars.

Fortunately, after expressing his concerns, he was advised that he would be allowed to wear a shirt and gloves while swimming. They had advised waterproof makeup for his facial tattoos, and although it wasn’t a perfect solution, it would have to do. Takato was just wary of the unwanted attention his circumstances would bring upon him.

“Are you coming?” Aizawa asked, already standing in the center of the room.

“I’ll be right there!” Takato called out, rushing over. “Sorry, I got lost in thought.”

“You really are the Biggest Dreamer.”

Takato tried to ignore the looks that came his way as he joined his classmates by the swimming pool during P.E. the next day.

The other students had eventually adjusted to his choice to change away from everyone else, but now he stood out more by wearing a shirt and gloves in addition to the school-issued swim trunks.

“I don’t think you got the memo, Matsuki. You’re supposed to swim with your shirt off. Why do you have to be so body shy anyways? It’s not like you have anything different we haven’t seen, right?” Ishida sneered, eyes raking over Takato in a way that made the Tamer bristle. “You’re not a girl, are you?”

A few boys snickered in the background while Takato’s eyebrow twitched in annoyance.

Takato thought Ishida had backed off since the boy had left Takato alone for the past several days, but from how it looked, the bully had only bided his time for the next opportunity.

Takato was about to answer when the approaching teacher responded instead.

“Mr. Matsuki was given special permission to wear a shirt. The reason for this is none of your concern, Mr. Ishida. If you disturb the class any further than you already have, there will be consequences. Am I clear?”

Ishida scowled, glancing between Takato and the teacher before begrudgingly muttering his assent. He rejoined his friends but not before shooting a challenging glare Takato’s way.

The Tamer rolled his eyes and settled beside Koda with a nod of acknowledgment. The silent animal lover was one of the few classmates Takato felt comfortable with.

Koda never bombarded Takato with invasive questions (for obvious reasons) and didn’t treat Gigimon like a fascinating toy like the other students did.

That didn’t mean Takato was any readier to make friends, though. He still thought it was better to keep his distance.

The students broke off into groups of five to swim, alternating boys and girls to ensure everyone got their chance. Once they completed their turn, the students were allowed to leave.

As it turned out, Takato was assigned to the last group, which he figured was due to his accommodations.

Ishida, assigned to the first group, looked disappointed that he wouldn’t get the chance to go against Takato, for which the Tamer was grateful. He didn’t want any more drama.

“I will remind you all one more time before we start,” the teacher said. “Quirk usage isn’t allowed, no matter how tempted you may be. If I catch any sign of quirk use, the culprit will not only receive a failing mark, but they will also receive a detention.”

A girl covered in pale blue scales raised a webbed hand.

“What if you can’t turn off your quirk?”

The teacher coughed, realizing the mistake in his words.

“Those with mutation quirks are exempt from the restriction as long as they refrain from utilizing the active components of their quirks.”

The other students grumbled and complained that that wasn’t fair, but the teacher wouldn’t have it.

Seeing as they got nowhere with the teacher, the disgruntled students turned their ire on the girl who brought the question up, as she would be the one to benefit from the teacher’s decision directly.

As Takato observed the other students bully the poor girl, he thought back to the kids playing hero and villain in the park that day. He remembered what he’d been told of how people viewed those with mutation quirks even when quirks were so widespread.

Despite how much humans had evolved since the sawn of quirks. They still clung to their narrow-minded ideas of humanity, leaving a good portion of society ostracized for something beyond their control. It reminded Takato of the anti-Digimon zealots back in his world.

Takato thought a superhuman society would be more accepting, but he supposed that was too much to ask for.

As much as he didn’t like bringing attention to himself, he refused to stand there and let an innocent girl get harassed for no reason.

“Leave her alone. It’s not her fault.”

His calm, unwavering voice broke through all the heckling, and silence reigned supreme. At least for the few seconds, it took the students to turn their focus on Takato instead.

“Mind your own business, Matsuki. You may not be worried about your grade, but we are.”

Takato snorted.

“What does harassing the poor girl have to do with your grade? Focus on your abilities instead of worrying about others. Blaming her for her quirk here would be the same as blaming a tall person in a basketball game.”

One of the boys that Takato recognized as Ishida’s friend opened his mouth to counter Takato’s statement, but the teacher intervened.

“That’s enough. One more word out of any of you, and I’ll give you all detention. We’ve wasted enough class time already. Get started.”

Takato sighed as the tension dissolved, and he glanced at the girl one last time to ensure she was okay.

She was staring at him with wide eyes and flushed when their gazes locked. She muttered a quiet ‘thank you’ and looked away.

Takato thought nothing more of the matter and focused on class instead. He wasn’t too worried about how he would do with swimming after spending a good portion of his early months in the Digital World underwater. He took shelter with Scubamon and Otamamon until more Digimon came to challenge him and Guilmon, putting the others in danger. In that time, Takato’s swimming abilities improved by leaps and bounds.

Takato zoned out for most of the class, barely paying Ishida mind when the boy claimed that Takato wouldn’t be able to match his time.

As Takato lacked a competitive nature (outside of a newly developed one for combat), the Tamer could care less about a pissing match with the bully. Human squabbles weren’t worth his time.

Takato blinked as that thought crossed his mind. It reminded him of something Crusadermon would have said.

Despite their disagreements, Crusadermon and Dynasmon did what they could to train Takato at Alphamon and Omnimon’s behest. Therefore, even they had rubbed off on Takato as the other Royal Knights had.

I’ve got to be careful. I haven’t lost all of my humanity… yet.

The rest of the class went smoothly, and Takato completed his turn quickly, earning a mix of jealous and admiring looks from the lingering students who awaited their turn to rinse off and get ready for the next class.

Takato swept his wet bangs out of his face, careful not to accidentally rub against his cheeks out of fear of removing the waterproof foundation Makoto helped apply earlier that day. He intended to go off on his own to get ready when he felt a disturbance on Guilmon’s side of the bond, automatically putting him on guard.

Takato tore off, ignoring his teacher’s calls for him not to run as he beelined straight for his classroom.

His wet feet slid across the hallway tile, but Takato refused to slow as he used the claws on his feet to keep purchase on the ground, only skidding to a halt once he was in front of his classroom.

“Gui— Gigimon!” Takato called out as he slid the door open, uncaring of the attention he grabbed as he barreled straight for his desk. “Are you okay?”

Gigimon poked his head out from under Takato’s desk, eyes and ears drooping. He was about to speak when the teacher, already waiting for all the students to return, butted in.

“What is the meaning of this, Mr. Matsuki? You’re soaking wet and making a mess.”

“Sorry, Ms. Matsumoto. I’ll clean it up,” Takato promised, distracted as his focus remained on looking for any sign of injury.

“Finish getting ready first, so you don’t make a further mess. You’ll stay after class to properly clean this room,” Ms. Matsumoto instructed.

“Yes, ma’am,” Takato complied, leaving with Gigimon in tow.

Once they were alone in the bathroom, Takato asked the questions he’d barely restrained until now.

“What happened, Gigimon?”

“I don’t know,” Gigimon admitted, causing Takato to frown.

“What do you mean?”

“I was sleeping, and then I felt this weird stinging sensation. I tried to wake up, but my body felt heavy. The feeling went away as quickly as it came. When I opened my eyes, the pain and whoever caused it were gone.”

“You don’t normally let people sneak up on you even in sleep,” Takato said. Ever since they had a bad experience involving that in the Digital World, they never let their guard down again. Takato couldn’t think of anyone who could evade his partner’s senses so easily. “You were pretty tired after lunch today.”

“I don’t know why. It’s not like I did anything out of the ordinary today.”

Many of the students, in his class and outside of it, were fascinated by Gigimon, and the Digimon had gained many food offerings. Takato hadn’t thought much of it before, but what if someone drugged Gigimon?

What could they possibly want? Takato couldn’t think of anyone in school who would like to do anything to Gigimon.

The Tamer briefly thought about Ishida but dismissed it. The belligerent student had been somewhat dismissive of Gigimon. If he had wanted to mess with Takato, he would be more direct about it. At least, that’s what Takato thought.

“Did you catch the scent? Was it one of the students?”

“I did catch a scent that felt strangely familiar, but it didn’t belong to any teacher or student I know,” Gigimon replied.

That didn’t spell good news for them. If a stranger was involved, there was no telling what was happening.

It couldn’t be Daemon since neither Takato nor Gigimon sensed his presence, which meant it could only be human.

Did Daemon recruit more human allies, or is this entirely unrelated?

“How are you feeling?” Takato asked Gigimon, giving him another once over when he finished changing. “Where was the pain?”

“I feel okay… I think. Just tired,’ Gigimon replied. “I felt it on my back.”

Takato traced his fingers down Gigimon’s back, making the Digimon squirm under the ticklish sensation.

“Hold still for a moment,” Takato advised.

“Sorry, Takatomon. I’ll try.”

Takato paused as he felt a small raised bump on Gigimon’s back. Lifting his partner, Takato took a closer look at the welt. It almost looked like a bug bite or possibly even a needle mark.

“That hurts,” Gigimon whined as Takato prodded the swelling.

“Sorry, Gigimon,” Takato apologized before he became aware of his phone vibrating.

Reaching over, he saw Aizawa’s name flash across the screen, and he answered the call.

“What took you so long? I’ve been trying to call you for the past five minutes,” the hero said gruffly. “What’s going on?”

Takato swallowed the instinctive desire to insist that everything was fine. He didn’t know if it was, and he didn’t think he could figure it out on his own, not without drawing unwanted questions his way.

“… I need help.”

Chapter Text

Takato should have known what would happen after alerting the adults to the security breach.

Aizawa pulled Takato out of school when he learned what happened, notifying Tsukauchi soon after.

Takato initially thought that Aizawa would bring him home, but instead, the hero took him to U.A., leaving the investigation to Tsukauchi and the police.

“Isn’t this overkill?” Takato asked as he and Aizawa sat in the back of the police car driven by Officer Tamakawa.

“The fewer people you’re exposed to, the better,” Aizawa replied. “Especially as we still do not know how they got to you.”

“You didn’t see anyone enter the building?” Takato asked Aizawa, who had kept vigil as always.

Aizawa shook his head.

“Don’t worry. We have officers checking CCTVs surrounding the area, just in case Eraser Head missed anything,” Officer Tamakawa added.

“Any word from Detective Tsukauchi yet?” Takato asked.

“Not yet. Between the security footage and the number of people that require questioning, he has his hands full,” Aizawa replied.

Takato winced, imagining the amount of work he’d thrown atop his guardian.

“If Detective Tsukauchi didn’t regret taking me in before, I bet he does now.”

Aizawa frowned and was about to say something when Officer Tamakawa interjected instead.

“I don’t think that’s possible.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I think you’ve influenced him well,” the cat-headed officer explained. “I’m you figured out by now that Detective Tsukauchi is a workaholic. Ever since you came into the picture, he’s concentrated on leaving before dinner time instead of pulling off all-nighters. You should see the pride in his eyes when he brings in the baked goods you made for all of us or when he looks at the drawings you gave him that he posted on his desk.”

Takato’s face burned as the officer pointed out the information. He hadn’t known that Tsukauchi put his drawings on display like that.

Takato hadn’t thought much of Tsukauchi’s request to keep the random drawings the Tamer had made as a way to relieve stress during the past few weeks. Knowing what Tsukauchi did with the pictures threw Takato for a loop.

“How’s Gigimon doing?” Aizawa asked to distract Takato from his embarrassment.

Takato glanced down at his slumbering partner.

“He seems okay,” the Tamer admitted. “The only thing I can feel from his end is that he’s tired.”

“He’s probably still working off whatever he was drugged with,” Aizawa surmised. “Too bad we don’t know what he was drugged with yet. There’s a lot of trash to go through in that cafeteria. We also don’t know what the glutton ate, so it may take longer.”

“I texted Detective Tsukauchi what items I could remember Gigimon eating,” Takato said.

“That will help. Who was in the room with Gigimon when you reached him?”

“Only my homeroom teacher, Ms. Matsumoto. Most of the students were still getting ready after gym.”

“That doesn’t mean one of them couldn’t have gone to the classroom while everyone else was distracted,” Aizawa mused. “That makes the list of suspects even bigger. Are there any students that you think could be responsible?”

“Well, I didn’t make many friends, especially when I called out half of the class for mistreating a girl with a mutation quirk earlier today, but this all happened after lunch when Gigimon was drugged,” Takato said. “The biggest enemy I’ve made, if you can call him that, is a guy named Ishida. He’s had it out for me since my first day. I don’t know why.”

“Well, at least that’s a start,” Aizawa replied, texting the new information to who Takato assumed must be his guardian.

“So why do we have to go to U.A.?” Takato asked.

“Aside from it being the safest place for you right now?” Aizawa asked drily before continuing. “Given Gigimon’s nature, there aren’t many out there that could do a proper medical check-up on him. U.A. is probably our best bet right now.”

“It’s strange if you think about it,” Aizawa said. “Gigimon was sedated, and anything could happen. How is it that Gigimon remained unharmed? What were they after?”

“I wish I knew. Maybe nothing else happened because I came so quickly?”

“It’s possible, but the chances of that happening without you or Gigimon seeing anything is slim,” Aizawa replied. “I hate to say it, but we may just have to wait until we have more information before we can do anything.”

Takato scowled, but he had to accept the facts. It was times like this when he missed the Monster Makers the most.

To say Tsukauchi was exhausted would be an understatement.

They’d had to put the school on lockdown to ensure no one left, earning the ire of many a parent.

From then on, the officers had first spoken with the teachers and administration before recruiting the teachers to establish their respective students’ whereabouts at the time of the incident.

After narrowing down the list of suspects to only the students and teachers left unaccounted for, the police had to await the students’ parents before interrogating them.

While they waited, the officers assigned to hunt down the food that Gigimon ate managed to narrow down the options to the most likely culprits, thanks to Takato’s report. The food wrappers and remnants were then sent off to be processed by the lab.

Hours later, after the interrogations and security footage examination, Tsukauchi wished he had more answers.

Security footage showed no one entering the school, making it clear that whoever attacked Gigimon was already inside the school, to begin with.

Every teacher and student’s alibi checked out to make matters even more confusing, and he’d detected no lie.

The attack on Gigimon didn’t happen by human hands, and according to Takato, not by digital ones.

Was it Daemon? Or someone else?

Tsukauchi hadn’t forgotten how Takato described Gigimon’s one injury.

A bug bite.

Memories of the dead insects found in the aftermath of the mass Instant Villain attack a few weeks ago flashed through Tsukauchi’s mind.

Did Takato and Guillmon attract attention that day?

Tsukauchi had thought that his ward went unnoticed in the chaos, but that may not have been the case.

If those behind Trigger had attacked Gigimon, either the drug didn’t work, or the assailants went after the wrong half of the pair.

Either way, if Gigimon had been injected with Trigger, they were all fortunate that it hadn’t worked.

Tsukauchi couldn’t risk something like this happening again.

I’m sorry, Takato… but your hopes for an ordinary student life may not be possible.

“The good thing is that, aside from races of a mild sedative, we found no sign of other drugs within Gigimon,” Principal Nedzu advised Takato after he and Recovery Girl completed their examination of the drowsy In-Training Digimon.

“That will allay the detective’s concerns about Trigger being involved,” Aizawa said.

“Gigimon’s tongue did not show any of the characteristic changes noted in those exposed to Trigger,” Nedzu confirmed. “Whatever has done to Gigimon didn’t involve injecting him with anything.”

“Does that mean someone took something from Gigimon instead?” Takato asked, surprising both adults with his insight. “What? It’s a good question. Needles aren’t just meant to add something, after all.”

“That is entirely possible,” Nedzu confirmed. “It would explain the minor disturbances noted in Gigimon’s data composition compared to previous readings.”

Takato stiffened.

“Disturbances? What kind of disturbances? Will it hurt him?”

“It shouldn’t,” Nedzu reassured the boy. “Imagine it as small patches of skin that were punched out in a biopsy. Someone extracted data so that it shouldn’t compromise Gigimon’s ability to recover. He should heal without issue, and given a Digimon’s resilient nature, merely returning to his Baby form should help reset his data properly.”

“Can he try that now, or do you still have anything else you want to check?” Takato asked, eager for Gigimon to return to total health.

“Go ahead,” Nedzu nodded at Gigimon, who glowed and shrank back to Jyarimon.

The Digimon chirped happily as the lingering malaise faded away. Jyarimon hopped into his Tamer’s arms and burrowed against his chest contentedly.

“If you have enough energy to digivolve back to your In Training form, I would like to repeat the scans once more to ensure the damage has been repaired,” Nedzu advised, and the Digimon obeyed.

“I want to know what data was taken from Gigimon, to begin with,” Aizawa frowned.

“I doubt they took anything essential for Gigimon’s functioning, or we would have seen it. Nevertheless, I would like to check on his ability to digivolve once he has regained the strength to do so.” Nedzu advised as he reattached the nodes required to scan Gigimon back onto the Digimon.

“If the attacker didn’t take any of Gigimon’s core data, what did they take and why?”

Takato frowned as he puzzled through possible motivations before an unsettling thought crossed his mind.

“What if it’s not Guilmon’s data they’re after?”

This question attracted both adults’ attention.

“Would you mind elaborating?” Nedzu asked, waiting patiently for Takato to continue.

“Do you remember when I told you how Digimon get stronger in the Digital World?”

“They absorb the data of weaker Digimon. But I thought you also said Tamed Digimon didn’t need to do that to get stronger,” Aizawa recounted.

“That may be true, but it took us a while to come to that conclusion. Although in mine and Henry’s case, we didn’t particularly condone that behavior either. Despite this, Guilmon absorbed a few Digimon’s data in the early days. After he and I ended up in the Digital World, absorbing data became less about becoming stronger and more about… demonstrating our strength.” Takato refused to meet either adult’s gaze as he discussed something that remained a big regret.

“You would absorb the data of the Digimon you fought to deter other Digimon from fighting against you.”

Takato nodded, not surprised that the chimera had managed to understand their battle tactic so easily.

“Why did you have to go so far?” Aizawa asked.

“Our first trip to the Digital World was one of the most dangerous experiences the other Tamers, and I went through. Guilmon and my solo trip… was a thousand times worse,” Takato began. “Digimon from all over hunted us down. We tried diplomacy at first, but when that failed, we fought. We thought intimidating the attackers into submission would work, but it was only a stop-gap. The Digimon just kept coming, one after another… until we eventually stopped granting mercy.”

Takato shuddered as he remembered the utter hopelessness and despair he and Guilmon felt after learning there was no way back to their world. All their hopes of leaving the hell of constant battle evaporated in one fell swoop. Their primary focus turned to survival within the harsh digital environment, even if they had to abandon the principles they once clung to.

“Did you absorb the data of every Digimon you fought?” Aizawa asked after sharing a silent worried glance with Nedzu.

Takato shook his head.

“Only the first few of each group to try to scare them away. If they persisted…. We followed the law of the land.”

“You must have been exhausted after so many fights. You must have felt there was no other way to handle the situation,” Nedzu said, accurately guessing Takato’s mindset near the end of the few months he’d spent before the Royal Knights took them in.

“It’s not a proud moment of my life,” Takato admitted. “There’s no excusing what I did.”

“Maybe not,” Aizawa replied. “But the Royal Knights must have seen something within you if they accepted you within their ranks despite all of that, right?”

Takato wanted to counter that the Royal Knights only intended to fill the opening left by his predecessor’s death, but Gankoomon had beat that notion out of him ages ago.

In the end, he just shrugged.

“Did you absorb any data while with the Royal Knights?:

“The Royal Knights kept me away from other Digimon for months until my first mission, the results of which you know. As for if we absorbed any other Digimon or not at that time… I don’t remember. My memories of the fight with Daemon are still blurry. I remember getting angry and killing a few of Daemon’s minions at the least, but what I did after that… I don’t know.”

“So there’s a possibility you may have absorbed an entire army’s worth of data,” Aizawa surmised. “And someone just stole an unknown amount of data from Gigimon. I already felt bad about all of this, and it worsened.”

“Even if they got the data, there’s no guarantee anyone can do anything with it,” Takato said.

“But there’s also a chance that someone with the right knowledge base could reverse-engineer the data and find a way to bring the Digimon back to life or use the data to create entirely new Digimon,” Nedzu countered. “If the Monster Makers created Digimon from scratch in a time with much inferior technology, there is no telling what someone in our world would be capable of doing with the right motivation.”

“They could build an army of their own,” Aizawa paled. “Daemon’s involved in this, right?”

“While highly likely, we can’t rule out the possibility of other players being involved. We may have been discrete about the existence of Digimon, but there’s no telling what Daemon has done during all of this time.”

“All of the leads we had in finding him ran dry. Those emails he sent led to dead ends,” Aizawa sighed. “Edgeshot has got nowhere on his end as well, even though he doesn’t have full knowledge of what to look for.”

“All hope isn’t lost,” Nedzu reassured both Aizawa and Takato. “I followed the track of the emails myself and found trace remnants of what could only be Daemon’s digital signature. Once we complete the detection grid, those fragments may assist us in attempting to locate him.”

“There’s still a chance that won’t work. Some Digimon out there exceeds at evading detection. The Devas were a good example. We had difficulty tracking them even with the D-Arc and Hypnos’ grid.”

“I see,” Nedzu mused. “Still, there is no harm in trying, is there?”

“I guess not,” Takato agreed.

“Speaking of the Devas,” Aizawa said. “Guilmon didn’t happen to absorb any of their data, did he?”

“No. We left the Devas’ data behind,” Gigimon said. “Beelzemon was the only one of us that absorbed the data of the Devas, but that was when he was not so nice.”

“I guess that’s one blessing in disguise,” Aizawa said. “You mentioned they were particularly strong Ultimates, right?”

Takato nodded.

“The damage some of them caused was no joke.”

“Can you remember any of the Digimon you absorbed?” Nedzu asked. “It may be good to know in case they make reappearances.”

“I think the first was Devidramon,” Gigimon recalled. “He was a meanie. The next was IceDevimon.”

“Both Champion Level,” Takato clarified. “Nasty ones. I don’t want to see them again, but they’re not the biggest threats either. Guilmon and I have long since outgrown their strength, even in our current weakened state. From what I’ve seen of Pro Heroes, they could handle either one of them easily enough.”

“What kind of threat do they pose?” Aizawa asked.

“Devidramon is the one to cause a lot of property damage. He was pretty focused on fighting other Digimon to get stronger. IceDevimon was a more subtle threat.”

“How so?” Nedzu cocked his head to the side.

“He was obsessed with finding the perfect Tamer to help make him stronger. He went after Rika, nearly killing her partner in the process. He’s a cunning opponent who knows how to avoid prying eyes. It was only thanks to a lucky card combination that helped Guilmon gain the advantage over him.”

“Pro Heroes may be able to eliminate threats at the Champion level, but it would be hard to keep the Digimon a secret from the rest of the world,” Aizawa said after the room remained uncomfortably silent for too long.

“The Digital Fields produced may help keep the Digimon out of the public eye,” Takato said. “Digimon only became known after Hypnos tried to use the Juggernaut program to destroy the Digital World and all digital life, only to tear a hole in the sky instead.”

“You also had Hypnos to assist with disguising the incidents,” Nedzu pointed out.

“Our government may not be as cooperative as Hypnos in regards to that,” Aizawa mused. “They could attempt to recreate the Juggernaut program themselves to eliminate the threat as a whole.”

“That would be a disaster,” Takato agreed. Not only would that put all of the worlds in jeopardy, but Takato and Guilmon, sworn to protect the Digital World as a Royal Knight, would be forced to take action against those who attempted to destroy it.

Takato didn’t want to fight against his kind if he could help it.

“This world also has something my world didn’t,” the Tamer said as he considered what they could do to keep information about Digimon hidden. “Heroes and Villains. We already passed Guilmon off as part of my quirk and Daemon as a villain. If any other Digimon appeared, you could always link them with Daemon as either other villains or his creations.”

“That could work, but only if we were able to keep ahead of the narrative,” Nedzu said, eyes narrowed in concentration as he mulled over Takato’s suggestion.

“Something tells me Daemon is not going to reveal his hand so soon,” the Tamer said. “He may be the Demon Lord of Wrath, but he’s more than capable of paying the long game. Given how long he waited before he finally came after me that day in the Digital World says a lot about his patience.”

Aizawa and Nedzu’s gazes sharpened at Takato’s words, catching the hidden meaning within them.

“Do you mean that the Daemon attacking you was not a random accident?” Nedzu asked.

Takato bit his lip. He had been so nervous about sharing this particular truth, but he couldn’t hide it forever.

“There’s something I need to tell both of you.”

Chapter Text

Silence filled the room once Takato explained the Digital Hazard and Daemon’s interest in it.

The Tamer avoided meeting either adult’s eye as he awaited their reactions. He knew they would be angry at him for hiding such an essential truth from them, but he didn’t want to see the signs of lost trust in their eyes. He already had so few allies in this new world. He didn’t want to lose any of them. They were the only tethers he had to his sanity.

When no one spoke for a few heart-stopping moments, Takato spoke again.

“I know… I should have told you sooner — a lot sooner, really — but…”

“You were scared,” Nedzu completed the sentence for him. “It appears that while we constantly emphasize your youth, we forget all that comes with that. You experienced things that no child would have, but that doesn’t mean you will react to situations the way an adult would, nor can you be expected to.”

“There’s no doubt that we should have known about the Digital Hazard earlier on if only to know the true extent of what we’re up against, but no one can blame you for hiding it either,” Aizawa agreed. “There are people out there that wouldn’t hesitate to kill you to neutralize the threat of the Digital Hazard.”

“Yamaki told me the same thing when I told about Megidramon after our first trip to the Digital World. He made me and the other Tamers promise never to speak of it again.”

“A wise decision,” Nedzu conceded.

“I never knew how much until later,” Takato replied. The public had initially favored the Tamers after the D-Reaper. Still, once the Digimon returned and the Wild Ones with them, public opinion changed rapidly, and the government capitalized on it.

It had taken Hypnos a lot of effort to keep the Tamers and their partners from experiencing nasty repercussions from the shifting tides of support.

If the public learned Takato had inadvertently created an apocalypse beast, there would have been nothing protecting the Tamers from the backlash.

“I take it that Detective Tsukauchi is aware of the Digital Hazard?” Nedzu asked.

“Yeah, but please don’t blame him for not telling you. I begged him not to. He encouraged me to tell you on my terms, but I hadn’t been ready beforehand.”

“Detective Tsukauchi is well known for his discretion,” Nedzu said. “While I can’t condone his decision, I can’t fault him. We cannot change past decisions. We can only move forward.”

“We may not be able to keep this a secret,” Aizawa frowned. “It’s hard enough to keep the threat of Daemon hidden, but can we, in good conscience, do the same for a possible world-ending event?”

Takato flinched. While that was the last outcome he wanted, he wouldn’t blame them if they decided to go public.

A hero’s focus remained on the safety of the public in general. Sacrificing one for the sake of the many wouldn’t be out of their purview.

Takato didn’t like the thought of sacrificing anyone for the sake of the greater good, but he’d learned through many conversations with the Royal Knights that there might be situations where there was no other choice. That wouldn’t stop Takato from trying his best to keep that from happening, but he couldn’t expect others to share that sentiment.

“While the public deserves to know the existence of danger, it could spell trouble to let them know where the danger lies,” Nedzu countered. “Takato may be able to trigger the apocalypse, but from the way I understand it, the Digital Hazard has been unleashed under certain circumstances. Am I right?’

Takato nodded but didn’t speak further, curious to know where the Principal was going with his train of thought.

“You were cornered, powerless, and enraged in all three instances. As we mentioned before, not everyone has your best interest at heart. If the wrong people learn about you, they could very well bring about the situation we want to prevent. More importantly, I refuse to allow you both to be punished for something beyond your control. Neither of you asked to possess such power. I would rather direct our time and energy in helping you learn how to control the Digital Hazard instead.”

Takato gawked at the chimera. Of all the decisions he expected them to make, this wasn’t one of them.

“Do you think it’s possible?” He asked.

“There are many quirks out there that can pose great danger to their wielders and those around them. Endeavor’s quirk is one such example. You cannot deny that he has demonstrated excellent control over it.”

Takato couldn’t help snorting at that, giving an apologetic smile to Aizawa when the underground hero shot him a reproachful glare.

“Poor example aside,” Nedzu said, catching onto Takato’s disdain for the hotheaded hero. “I believe you can learn to control the Digital Hazard, or at least control the conditions that lead up to it activating.”

“That would be amazing if that’s possible,” Takato said. The Digital Hazard had always been something he feared. He never imagined that he could learn how to control it, but if he could, it could alleviate most of his fears and perhaps gain a much-needed advantage over Daemon.

“It will not be easy,” Nedzu warned. “There’s much I will have to study and understand before we can even dream of making that hope a reality.”

“We’ll help in whatever way we can,” Gigimon promised.

“I’m sure you will,” Nedzu responded with a smile. “Let’s get you both some food before bedtime.”

While Takato and Gigimon were happy knowing they could finally eat, Takato couldn’t help pausing at Nedzu’s last words.

“Bedtime?” He repeated before turning to Aizawa. “We’re going home already?”

“Not quite. Detective Tsukauchi is still busy with his investigation and is not keen on you returning until he has deemed it safe.”

“We have arranged a room for you here at the school,” Nedzu said before Takato could inquire further. “We will continue this conversation tomorrow once Detective Tsukauchi joins us. It will give us some time to review the newly obtained data and decide how to move forward.”

“Sounds like a plan.”

Ishida rolled his eyes as he shuffled into his home alongside his mother, who wouldn’t stop ranting about the useless police and the complete waste of time they were forced to endure. She hadn’t shut up at school, and it drove him nuts.

“Where are you going?” She asked as Ishida headed towards his room while she was mid-rant.

“Where do you think?” He retorted as he opened his door.

“But what about dinner?”

“Not hungry. Don’t bother me. I’m tired, and I don’t have time to deal with your bullshit right now,” he snapped before slamming the door in her face and locking it.

Ishida waited until his mother finished screaming her lungs out from the other side of the door before finally relaxing as she stomped away.

“I thought she’d never shut up,” he grumbled as his appearance rippled and changed, leaving Neo in Ishida’s stead.

“If she persisted for much longer, I would have put an end to her myself, no matter the consequences,” DemiDevimon said from within Neo’s phone. “Human mothers are useless once they’ve served their purpose of producing offspring.”

“I’m surprised you’re willing to give them even that much credit, given how much you hate humans,” Neo drawled as he sank into the chair in front of his computer.

“As pathetic as I find you, humans, I cannot deny that at least some of you are useful,” DemiDevimon replied, a dark, hungry smile crossing his face.

Neo would never have believed that the now Rookie level Digimon was capable of all that he claimed if he hadn’t seen the shadow of the Demon Lord hovering over the tiny creature the day they first met.

Even so, it was sometimes hard to take the Digimon seriously when he looked like a stuffed animal. He didn’t dare voice his thoughts aloud.

Even in his weakened form, DemiDevimon was more than capable of inflicting tremendous amounts of pain, as Neo witnessed many times against the real Ishida.

Neo may not care much for the boy whose life he stole, but he wouldn’t forget his screams or pleads for mercy any time soon.

“How much longer do I have to keep pretending to be this loser?” Neo asked. Playing an idiot was beneath him, and the cheap tricks he’d had to resort to when trying to elicit a reaction from Takato while staying in character grated his nerves.

“Not for much longer,” DemiDevimon promised. “Knowing the humans, the Tamer and his pet will be sequestered away and never return to that school. Therefore, your purpose there is coming to an end. We cannot act immediately, however, lest the humans catch onto our role in today’s debacle. The fewer tracks we leave for them, the better.”

“Was this thing worth all that trouble?” Neo asked as he pulled the USB they had transferred all the data they stole from Takato’s partner. “We could have done much more if we hadn’t revealed our hand so early.”

“We could have,” DemiDevimon agreed. “But we also gained a lot from this venture. It promises new allies, and the humans will close ranks around the Hazard Child. Their actions may be meant to protect him, but they will only smother the child. His growing malcontent will be an excellent fertilizer for the Digital Hazard, and eventually, he will be ripe for the taking.”

“How are you so sure that will work?” Neo asked. He had observed Takato for the past month, and the Tamer had barely reacted despite all of the taunts and torment directed his way.

The tiny, delicate-looking Tamer was far from what he appeared to be. The gentle breeze Neo believed would break the boy was hardly enough. After seeing the stubborn determination in Takato’s eyes more than once, Neo doubted even a typhoon would faze the boy.

A part of Neo admired Takato for that trait, but most of him detested it even more. Takato’s steadfast nature made it seem that Neo was beneath him.

As much as Neo hated to admit it, Takato had what it took to make it into the ranks of the heroes Neo once strived to join. Knowing Takato would succeed where he failed enraged Neo even further.

He slowly built his obsession with Takato, wanting nothing more than to see the Tamer fall from grace. He wanted to see those arrogant eyes fill with fear and helplessness as they took his strength for their own. Nothing would satisfy him more.

“Do you think the heroes’ coddling will be enough to anger him?”

“By constantly sending my forces against them, I infused Matsuki and Guilmon with great battle lust. The Royal Knights helped temper it, but without a proper outlet, their lust will remain unfulfilled, and their frustration will grow. The heroes and their need to coddle children will fail to give him what he needs.”

“And if that doesn’t work?” Neo asked, still not entirely convinced.

“I’ve been watching some rather interesting parties out there. It is too soon to approach them, but I do not doubt that, once they act, Matsuki will see the truth about humanity, pushing him further into our grasp. In the meantime, we will build up our forces.”

Neo’s eyes fell back on the USB in his hand. He had studied DemiDevimon’s digital structure over and over within the past month. Every Digimon was different, but if he could figure out their core structure, it may be possible to reverse engineer the fallen Digimon and bring them back. Only time — and a great deal of patience — would tell.

“Why did we have to steal the data from Matsuki’s pet? Don’t you have the data of Digimon you killed within you?”

“Why would I sacrifice even an ounce of my power when this data was available?” DemiDevimon snorted. “Not only that, but the Digimon we intend to resurrect all share a hatred for those who killed them. What better allies could we ask for?”

Chapter Text

The Tamers stood before Zuqaiomon's lair, the fiery sky making the harsh situation even more ominous. They barely paid the warped atmosphere any mind; their horrified attention fixated on the carnage before them.

Beelzemon rampaged against them, directing his aggression towards a weakened Kyuubimon, who continued to plead with him to see reason despite all hope seeming lost. The Demon Lord had made short work of the other Digimon, showing all of the Tamers what came of the rank disparity that came with facing off against a Mega-level Digimon. The children had overcome every obstacle that had come their way up until this point, but now against the one they once considered a friend, they could see no way out of the situation. That didn't stop them from trying to protect the friends they still had.

"Don't you touch her!" Growlmon yelled, rushing to intercept the rogue Digimon before he could further harm the vulpine Digimon.

Fear gave way to anger as Takato growled, balling his hands into fists and stalking forward. Beelzemon showed no remorse for turning against them, selling his soul for power alone. Their efforts to make peace with him were in vain. He could feel the despair coursing through all of his friends, thanks to Beelzemon. If the Mega level refused to back down, they had no choice but to face him as an enemy. They couldn't afford to see him as anything different.

"All right, that's it! Get him Growlmon! I don't care who he used to be. He's nothing but a monster now! Take him down!" he yelled, gritting his teeth.

Jeri looked at Takato in shock in the protective embrace of her partner.

"Takato?" she whispered, disbelieving the usually innocent and forgiving Tamer's current attitude.

Beelzemon met Growlmon's lunge with a nasty sucker punch to the face, knocking the giant dragon onto the ground with a loud thud. The Demon Lord of Gluttony sneered as he looked at the fallen form of his former friend.

"So much for friendship, huh, Pineapple Head? Boy… Don't worry; I'll deal with you later." Beelzemon scoffed, and he walked away towards Kyuubimon. "Right after I wipe out your uppity friend. Alright, chatty. Any last words?"

Kyuubimon raised her head weakly.

"I-Impmon…please!" she begged. Beelzemon snarled at the sound of his former name.

"BE QUIET!" he bellowed.

Rika's eyes widened in fear and panic.

"Oh no! Kyuubimon, please get up! You have to get away!" the girl begged, looking down at her modify cards helplessly. "These stupid cards are useless! I can't do anything!"
Beelzemon raised his clawed hand, ready to impale Kyuubimon.

"Enough! I must destroy you once and for all!" Beelzemon yelled.

"Don't be… so blind!" Kyuubimon protested, unable to move her body out of the way.

"I said QUIET!" the Demon Lord roared, attacking earnestly. For a split second, everyone feared that would be the end of Kyuubimon, but Leomon grabbed Beelzemon's arm.

Surprised by the sudden intervention, Beelzemon scowled at the leonine Digimon.

Jeri gasped, both grateful that her partner had saved Kyuubimon's life but now fearing for his instead.

"I don't know who you are… but I do know you are being used. This power you've been given… is it worth hurting these children to keep it?" Leomon asked.

Beelzemon yanked his arm away, glare never leaving his face.

"You don't know anything!" He yelled, earning a punch from Leomon.

"To have power is not to be strong," Leomon rebuked. "You see… I know that better than anyone." Leomon glanced at Jeri, who looked nervous for his sake.

"Leomon…" she whispered.

"Do what you must, Beelzemon, but I won't let you hurt these children!" Leomon said, standing firm, even against a Digimon far stronger than him.

Beelzemon snarled, disregarding all of Leomon's advice as he lashed out.

"Gyaah!" the Demon Lord yelled, and everyone watched helplessly as he mercilessly impaled Leomon. The lion Digimon roared in pain and stumbled back, a gaping hole in his stomach. Losing his strength, he collapsed onto his back.

"You…!" Kyuubimon screamed angrily, and she lunged at Beelzemon, only to be kicked away.

"Kyuubimon!" Rika screamed in worry.

Beelzemon turned back to the dying Leomon.

"W-why… can't you see… why won't you try to understand the truth?" Leomon asked although every word seemed to agonize him further.

Jeri could do nothing but watch, on the verge of hysterics.

"I don't believe it! I don't believe he got Leomon!" Kazu gaped, terror in his eyes.

"We could be next!" Kenta said in a panic. He shut his eyes tight. "We got to get out of here. I can't take this!"

Henry glared at Beelzemon behind them, protecting the weeping 6-year-old Suzie. "Leomon…"

Takato trembled with barely contained rage and hatred. His eyes were as feral as Guilmon's, and barely restrained growls escaped his bared teeth. Any lingering feelings of friendship he once had for Beelzemon vanished at that moment. Now all he felt was an intense desire to kill that he had never experienced before. It wiped every other thought from his mind.

Everyone could do nothing but watch as Leomon's digital structure began to break down.

"Be brave… Jeri. I'll always be with you. Remember, you have a lion's heart." The lion Digimon attempted to console his partner one last time before he completely dissipated into data.

Jeri's D-Arc started showing static, showing that Leomon was dead.

Jeri screamed out in grief, tears flowing freely as she clutched herself.

"No…" Beelzemon began gleefully as he absorbed Leomon's data into his own body. "To have power is to be strong! I'll keep loading data until no one can stop me! No one!"
Growlmon trembled, gold eyes wide in shock. His innocent mind couldn't begin to understand what he just bore witness to.

“But he… he was just trying to help us… and you…” Growlmon paused, and his once naive gold eyes turned into those of a feral demon as anger took over.

Takato shook with barely contained anger, his skin blanching white where it stretched taut around his knuckles.

"How could you? How could you do this horrible thing?" Takato began, mind barely able to form the words he wished to speak due to the intensity of his emotions. "I'll make you hurt! I'll make you PAY!!" A bright crimson aura flared out of Takato, making his partner digivolve without a digivice.

WarGrowlmon stepped right over his partner to face Beelzemon.

Takato let out a fearsome roar which his partner echoed. Their minds were fused by their mutual hatred for their former friend.

Jeri took a fearful step back, stunned by the uncharacteristic display.

"What's going on? What is happening to the two of you?" she asked, terrified. Kazu rushed to her.

"Jeri, come on! We have to get out of the way!" he exclaimed, but Jeri wrenched her hand away.

"Don't touch me!" the grief-stricken girl exclaimed. "Everyone, just leave me ALONE!" She covered her face and wept.

"Jeri…" Kazu said in disbelief.

Beelzemon sneered at WarGrowlmon.

"Nice outfit… But you're still not good enough to beat me, you big lug. Just so you know, when I'm done with you, I'm going to finish your friends one by one." Beelzemon promised.

"You're wrong… You're the one that's finished." Takato promised.

WarGrowlmon rushed at Beelzemon, thrusters flaring. Beelzemon jumped up and took out his guns.

"Take this, you big dumptruck!" the Demon Lord yelled, firing his guns. The bullets had no effect against WarGrowlmon's armor, and the cyborg dragon lunged forward, biting into Beelzemon's abdomen.

"Finish him! Do it! Tear him apart!" Takato ordered.

Jeri observed him in fear.

"Don't do this!" she pleaded.

Screaming, Beelzemon stabbed WarGrowlmon in the face above his armor and knocked him back.

"You cannot lose. I won't allow it!" Takato reprimanded, frustrated to see Beelzemon maintaining the upper hand. At that moment, his anger overrode his usual concern for his partner's wellbeing. "I… Order you to digivolve. Digivolve… NOW!!!" He thrust his D-Arc into the air, willing his wish to come true.

A red light shot out from somewhere and highlighted the entire lair.

"Wha…" Beelzemon said in confusion.

The Hazard symbol on WarGrowlmon's chest began to flash with an ominous red light.

"That mark on his chest… it's glowing. What's happening to him?" Henry asked, his voice filled with trepidation.

WarGrowlmon growled monstrously as a cyclone of fiery energy engulfed him. Within it, his silhouette warped.

"He's digivolving!" Henry exclaimed.

"Do it… That's it…Digivolve… I order you to digivolve to MEGA!" Takato ordered, oblivious to the wrongness of it all.

WarGrowlmon's form turned serpentine, and Takato grinned.

"Yes…" he hissed, bloodlust on full display.

The light faded away, and a serpentine dragon with acidic saliva stood there. It didn't even look like Guilmon at all.

Takato has had this dream countless times since that fateful day in the Digital World. This was a memory he could never escape from, but this time… this time, the dream changed.

Tsukauchi was exhausted, but that didn't stop him from arriving at U.A. as early as socially acceptable the following day.

Aizawa had reassured the detective that Takato and Gigimon were safe and sound, but he wouldn't relax until he saw them.

Tsukauchi never imagined he'd become so protective of the traumatized wild child he met in the hospital, but here he was.

Nedzu and Aizawa were already waiting for Tsukauchi when he reached the entrance.

"How is he?" Tsukauchi asked in place of a greeting.

"Still sleeping. Yesterday's events appear to have exhausted him more than he initially let on," Nedzu said.

"Takato does have a tendency of downplaying his struggles." Tension escaped Tsukauchi's shoulders, but he still couldn't completely relax. "Can I see him?"

"Not just yet," the Principal replied, surprising Tsukauchi. He hadn't expected his request to be rejected so quickly. "There are a few things I would like to discuss with you before Mr. Matsuki joins us. Please follow me to my office."

Impatience made Tsukauchi want to protest, but something in Nedzu's tone made him realize he shouldn't argue.

Once they were safely sequestered in the Principal's office, Nedzu finally spoke what was on his mind.

"Takato told us about the Digital Hazard last night."

"So he finally told you." Tsukauchi could only imagine how Takato must have felt laying his last and most feared secret bare.

"We already spoke with him last night about why he hid the information from us, and he even clued us in on why you kept quiet. Still, I would like to hear your reasoning for myself. You know as well as we do what could have gone wrong if we didn't learn the truth sooner than later."

Tsukauchi sighed, mind flashing to the look of terror on Takato's face when he'd realized what Daemon was after and what that could mean for the world.

"There's no excusing my decision to hold my tongue, he said. "I wished for Takato to share that information of his own volition. We've stolen enough of his autonomy to grant him that much, at least."

"That was a risky move. We're lucky it has worked out as well as it has, but as an adult, you should have known better," Aizawa admonished.

"I'm well aware of that," Tsukauchi snapped back, voice filled with self-reproach. "But you didn't see what he looked like when he realized what Daemon was after. I've never seen him so afraid. He would do anything to keep the Digital Hazard from the wrong hands. He went as far as to suggest…"

The detective had to break off at that moment. He couldn't even voice the horror he'd felt when Takato suggested they kill him if ever it seemed that he would lose control of the Digital Hazard. That was not an easy decision for a child of Takato's age to make.

The shocked expressions on Aizawa and Nedzu's faces revealed they caught onto Tsukauchi's meaning even without words.

"At this point, all I wanted to do was protect him. I didn't care about anything else. I know that was selfish, but…"

"You acted as a father versus a member of the Police Force," Nedzu surmised.

For once, Tsukauchi didn't blush or splutter in the face of someone calling out his paternal affection for Takato. He just nodded.

"So, what came of your investigation at the school?" Aizawa asked.

Tsukauchi was about to answer when the lights and digital devices flickered erratically.

Tsukauchi paled, recognizing the signs.

"Where's Takato?"

A red fog obscured the air, leaving a disconcertingly familial metallic scent in its wake.

The crackles of nearby flames broke the sense as smoke and heat soon joined the murky atmosphere.

Where am I?

Takato could barely see in front of him due to the dense fog. He briefly wondered if he was in the middle of a Digital Field, but he quickly dismissed that thought. His surroundings didn't feel nearly the same as when in a Digital Field.

He attempted to rub at his stinging eyes, only to hear the clang of metal against metal as his gauntlets glanced off his helmet instead. They slid off easily as if they were wet, leaving whatever covered his gloves behind.

Wait… Am I Gallantmon right now?

Takato didn't know how that was possible. Biomerge digivolution remained stubbornly out of his grasp. Aside from the difference in height, weight, and the armor covering him, Takato felt like something other than his Royal Knight counterpart.

At least, not entirely. There was something… wrong… with his current state. He couldn't place what it was.

It has to be this place.

While he still couldn't see anything, his surroundings gave him the creeps.

Where am I?

Wicked laughter filled the air, and Takato instantly went on alert, summoning both lance and shield. There was no need for him to ask who was there. He would never forget that harsh voice for as long as he lived.

"Show yourself, Daemon!"

"With pleasure," the Demon Lord replied as streams of fire suddenly eliminated the darkness, revealing what Takato had, until this point, remained blind to.

Horror stole Takato's attention from the Demon Lord as he finally took in his surroundings.

Despite the firelight, the red haze remained, blocking out the light from the sun (or moon, given that Takato couldn't tell what time of day it was).

Takato tried to step forward and faltered as his foot nudged something he hadn't noticed before. Glancing down, he choked at the corpses piled up all around him. It didn't take more for him to realize what the red mist was.

Blood. So much blood.

Bile rushed up Takato's throat, but in the end, he could do nothing more than choke it back; in his current form, he had no outlet for his disgust.

Ripping his gaze from the corpses, Takato focused on what else was around him.

The skeletal and broken remains of a once-resplendent city surrounded him, alerting Takato that he was in the Real World, not the Digital World.

It took him longer to realize the decimated city was Tokyo as he saw the shattered twin frameworks of the Tokyo Metropolitan Buildings in the distance.

He would have thought it Hypnos if his eyes hadn't caught sight of two familiar corpses lying nearby, causing his heart to nearly stop.

Ingenium lay sprawled on the ground, once pristine armor charred and dented while his neck was twisted unnaturally, revealing the cause of his death. Endeavor lay close to him, a gaping hole residing where his heart once was.

Takato stood not in his world's Tokyo but that of the world that had become his new home. Wherever Takato looked, he saw fallen heroes and civilians alike.

The only signs of life anywhere in the vicinity were Daemon and himself.

"How… how could you do all of this?" Takato knew Daemon was capable of the cruelties he saw around him, but it still stunned him.

Digimon left no trace behind when they died. The same couldn't be said of humans, and until this point, Takato had remained naive to the gruesome reality in front of him.

Daemon chuckled, his expression hidden by his cloak.

"Whoever said I was the one who did this?" He asked, voice deceptively innocent. "All it took was a small push…"

Daemon threw something forward, and it took Takato a few moments to process what he saw.

Charred and blood-stained capture cloth and a familiar tan trenchant with a bloody hole at the level of the heart.

No…

Takato stared at the items, paralyzed by shock, as he processed what Daemon inferred.

"You…"

Daemon's chuckle turned into a full-blown cackle.

"I never had so much fun killing pathetic humans before. Their screams were music to my ears… and the look on your face when I ate your Daddy's heart and your hero's eyes were to die for." Daemon's eyes glowed with manic glee.

A potent mixture of shock, despair and rage flooded Takato's body, granting him a renewed ability to move.

"I'll kill you!"

Leaping forward, Takato grabbed for Daemon's neck but froze at the sight of his blood-drenched black armor.

"W-what?"

Rage forgotten, Takato brought his trembling hand back towards himself to inspect it closer. Despite willing it to only be an illusion, both the blood and the wrong-colored armor remained exactly where they were.

Whirling around, Takato turned his attention to a nearby building whose ground floor remained somewhat intact, cracked windows granting him a chance to see his reflection.

A tall, foreboding knight stood with black armor with blue cauldrons, poleyns, cape, and parts of his vambraces and sabatons. He may look like Gallantmon, but the aura coming off screamed Megidramon. His cold red eyes didn't reflect the growing dread building with Takato. It may have been difficult to discern to most, but he could see the splashes of red marring large segments of his armor.

"Whoever said I was the one who did this?"

Daemon's earlier words came back to Takato as realization dawned on him.

Takato's bloodcurdling scream as he awakened in his guest room rang through the halls of the U.A. with deafening clarity.

Chapter Text

Tsukauchi burst into Takato’s room, ears ringing from the boy’s scream.

The Tamer had yet to relent, eyes glowing gold as he made his despair known. Red electricity coursed off of him, the source of the digital frenzy affecting U.A.

In his panicked state, the Tamer couldn’t recognize those around him where he was. His every instinct told him that he was in danger, and his abilities responded in kind.

“Shit! He’s having a nightmare!” Tsukauchi swore as Aizawa and Nedzu joined him at the room’s entrance.

“Does this happen every time he has a nightmare?” Aizawa asked, shocked by the spectacle in front of them. He had seen Takato — or rather, Guilmon using Takato’s body —  go feral before, but this was entirely different.

“Sometimes, but it’s never been this bad,” Tsukauchi replied. “He does better when someone stays with him at night. It concerns his time in the Digital World, but he never shared the reason with me.”

“As important as it is to understand the triggers for Mr. Matsuki’s psychological state, I believe the higher priority right now would be to calm him down,” Nedzu advised. “So far, the effect of his abilities only extends to this wing of the school. If it continues to spread, we will have yet another highly publicized event connected to Takato that would require explanation.”

“Right,” Tsukauchi agreed, mind racing about how to soothe his ward. If they approached the situation wrong, Takato may lash out and hurt himself or someone else. Not even Gigimon was able to reach him in his current state.

“Can you suppress him?” He asked Aizawa, whose gaze had never left Takato the entire time.

“I’ve been trying,” Aizawa replied. “He’s somehow resisting the effect.”

While that information was worth considering further, now wasn’t the time to do so.

In the end, Tsukauchi didn’t have time to figure out a safe way to approach Takato, not when the crimson lightning suddenly lashed out and shattered the large lights above him.

The detective threw all caution to the wind and dove forward, shielding Takato from the falling shards with his own body.

Fortunately, Takato appeared to regain his senses after being tackled and lay still under Tsukauchi’s weight.

The detective fought to keep a grimace of pain off his face from the glass now embedded in his back, not wanting to distress Takato.

Once silent and settled, Tsukauchi pushed himself onto his knees to get his weight off of Takato, who stared at him as if he saw a ghost.

“Are you okay?” Tsukauchi asked softly.

Takato opened and closed his mouth; his words stuck in his throat for a few moments before he finally uttered one word.

“Dad!”

Tsukauchi’s mind blanked, arms closing instinctively around Takato as the boy dove into his arms.

The detective had only just accepted his paternal feelings for Takato. He never expected the boy to reciprocate the bond and wasn’t ready to hear the title escape Takato’s mouth. It almost made him forget about the growing pain in his back.

“Your alive,” Takato breathed, pressing his ear against Tsukauchi’s chest, soothed by his heartbeat.

“Is that what you saw in your dream? Tsukauchi asked as Gigimon wormed his way between them to assist in helping Takato come down from the aftereffects of his nightmare.

Takato hesitated before nodding.

Tsukauchi could tell there was more to the nightmare, but he didn’t want to push further.

“As touching as this scene is, we should get you both to Recovery Girl,” Nedzu interjected, catching both of their attention.

At Nedzu’s words, Takato pulled away from Tsukauchi; brows furrowed in confusion until his nostrils flared as he caught a whiff of Tsukauchi’s blood.

Takato’s eyes clouded, likely due to a remembered trauma before he focused his attention on Tsukauchi instead.

“You’re hurt.” The Tamer’s once again red eyes scanned the detective for signs of injury, becoming distressed at the sight of the glass shards embedded in Tsukauchi’s back. “… My fault.”

“No,” Tsukauchi was quick to counter. “This is no one’s fault. It looks worse than it is. I’m just glad you’re safe.”

Takato looked ready to argue but shut his mouth, deeming it more important to get Tsukauchi to someone who could provide the detective with appropriate medical attention.

On their way out, they bumped into Midnight and Hound Dog.

“Eraser Head? What are you doing here?” Midnight asked the underground hero, eyes wide in surprise.

“It’s a long story,” the man replied before her eyes fell on Tsukauchi and stopped on Takato. “You’re the kid at the police station that day. The one who looked ready to tear into Endeavor.”

Takato flinched and tucked himself further into Tsukauchi’s side, avoiding Midnight’s interested gaze.

“I’m sure you both have questions, but here is not the best place to ask them. You are welcome to join us on our way to the Infirmary, but you must promise discretion if you wish to join us.”

Tsukauchi met Nedzu’s eye, surprised that he planned to bring the two other heroes along.

The chimera gave him a silent request for trust, and the detective decided to withhold his reservations. The Principal must have a plan. He never made an impulsive decision.

“I’ll take these two to the Infirmary if you’d rather discuss with those two in your office,” Aizawa offered, eyes trained on Takato, who looked far from comfortable with the two new heroes in his presence.

“That would be helpful. Thank you, Eraser Head.”

Nodding in acknowledgment to Midnight and Hound Dog, Aizawa gently pulled Takato from Tsukauchi towards himself, mindful of the detective’s still unattended injuries.

Takato didn’t protest, showing that his trust in Aizawa was building to a point equivalent to his faith in Tsukauchi.

Aizawa’s expression didn’t change, but he placed a comforting hand on the boy’s head, ignoring Midnight’s comments about how she never saw him take an interest in a child and how she’d make a teacher out of him yet.

“Is there something in my eyes?” Aizawa asked Takato, after catching the boy sneak a peek at them for the fifth time in the past ten minutes as Recovery Girl worked on removing the glass from Tsukauchi’s back.

“N-no.” Takato quickly directed his attention away, flustered.

“Does this have anything to do with the nightmare you had?”

Although some time had passed since they reached the Infirmary, Takato had made no move to speak about what led to such a violent reaction.

Tsukauchi advised it was best to be patient with Takato, but whatever plagued the boy’s mind haunted him still. Aizawa hadn’t missed how Takato avoided looking at Tsukauchi’s blood-stained trench coat or how his eyes constantly flitted back and forth between Tsukauchi’s chest and Aizawa’s eyes.

Even without words, Aizawa had an inkling of at least part of what the Tamer must have seen in his dream.

“Something happened to us in your dream, didn’t it?”

Takato stiffened, balling his hands into fists as he tried to find a response. Seconds later, all of the tension left his body as his skin turned a sickly shade of green.

Aizawa had only seconds to grab a bucket with his capture cloth and send it flying into Takato’s lap before the boy suddenly emptied his stomach contents.

Tsukauchi, who had until this point sat patiently while Recovery Girl tended to him, lurched forward in an attempt to go to his charge, only for the nurse to subdue him with a sharp smack to the back of his head.

“You’ll do the poor child no good if you worsen your injuries before I finish healing them,” she rebuked him before she went to Takato with a glass of water and a handful of saltine crackers. “There, there, child. Let it all out.”

She combed his bangs out of his eyes and stroked his back as he coughed and cleared out the remains of last night’s meal.

Once he was ready for it, Takato accepted the water with a quiet thank you while he silently placed the crackers out of his line of sight.

Aizawa didn’t miss that. Takato could be too nauseous to think of food, but given his previous disordered eating, the hero couldn’t be too sure. He’d have to watch the boy to ensure he didn’t regress.

“I’ll give you all a few minutes to talk,” Recovery Girl said before leaving them alone.

“You don’t have to tell us anything if you’re not ready to,” Tsukauchi said, concerned.

Takato shook his head, avoiding both of their gazes. Aizawa would have taken that gesture as an “I-don’t-want-to-talk-about-it,” but Takato spoke up.

“He killed you. Both of you. He said… he said I needed a little push.”

Aizawa and Tsukauchi shared an unsettled look, understanding what Takato inferred.

“Did Megidramon come out?” Aizawa asked

“No,” Takato replied, staring at his shaking hands as if they were the dirtiest things he had ever seen despite having just washed them after his vomiting episode. “Worse.”

Aizawa frowned. What could be worse than an apocalypse beast who could destroy the world just by existing?

“How so?” Tsukauchi asked.

“I told you that Gigimon has two different Mega-level forms, right?” Takato said, and both adults nodded. “I was wrong. He has at least three.”

“I take it by your reaction that this third form isn’t good,” Aizawa said.

“Far from it.” Takato pulled out Gallantmon’s card from his deck and held it out. “Think of him with black and blue armor instead of white and red,” the Tamer said.

Aizawa restudied Gallantmon’s picture and shivered as he imagined a dark knight version of him. It wasn’t a pleasant sight.

“Does he have a name?”

“ChaosGallantmon.”

“That doesn’t sound very friendly,” Tsukauchi said with a wince.

“He’s not,” Takato replied with a shudder. “I only saw him in the mirror, and the sight shocked me awake.”

“Wait… you said mirror.” Dread settled in Aizawa’s stomach. “Meaning you saw yourself as ChaosGallantmon.”

Takato bit his lip and nodded.

“I only saw the aftermath of his rampage,” the boy said, making Tsukauchi and Aizawa count their blessings that he hadn’t experienced ChaosGallantmon’s negative influence first-hand. “… But he destroyed everything. Tokyo looked like a nuclear wasteland. He spared no one.”

“Stop,” Aizawa scolded Takato as he saw the boy scrub roughly at his hands to the point they turned bright red. He’d seen similar behaviors to know what Takato attempted to cleanse.

“It won’t go away,” Takato muttered.

“No amount of hand washing or wiping will remove a mental scar like that, Problem Child,” Aizawa spoke softly to soothe the increasingly agitated Tamer.

Takato’s face twisted in despair, looking more vulnerable than either adult had seen before.

“Time… and a lot of counseling,” Tsukauchi advised, making Takato recoil.

“Counseling?” He repeated, brows furrowing.

“It can’t be the first time the possibility has been brought up to you,” Aizawa said. “There’s no way your friends at Hypnos wouldn’t have suggested it for all of you after everything you went through in the Digital World and with the D-Reaper. If they didn’t, I’d question their capability of caring for all of you.”

“They offered it,” Takato admitted. “Only Jeri, Henry, and Kenta continued it at that time. I tried it, but I didn’t like the counselor the government assigned to us, so I stopped going after the first session.”

“Counseling is a lot harder without trust,” Tsukauchi conceded.

“How can I trust any counselor here with all my secrets?” Takato asked.

“We already have a counselor in mind,” Aizawa said. “Principal Nedzu and I spoke after you went to bed last night. U.A. has a school counselor, Hound Dog, who we believe could suit you. He was the other hero that came with Midnight earlier.”

“Does that mean Principal Nedzu is telling them the full truth right now?” Takato asked, nervous.

“Only what is necessary,” Aizawa reassured him. “Whatever else they learn all depends on you.”

“Okay…” Takato still looked uncertain. “I can understand talking to Hound Dog, but why Midnight?”

“While our goal is to help you learn how to control the Hazard, it’s still important to create measures to prevent it from activating before you can control it. Since you are the trigger, targeting you would be the most logical option. Given that we would like to do this in the gentlest way possible, Midnight’s quirk may come in handy,” Aizawa explained.

“What if that doesn’t work?” Takato asked.

“Then we’ll think up another countermeasure,” Aizawa said.

“Can’t you suppress it as you can my… er… ‘quirk?’” Takato wondered.

“I don’t think that will work,” Aizawa replied. “Your body seems to have adapted, and my quirk no longer works on you. It’s like when your body creates antibodies against infection. Either that or my quirk only worked on you because you allowed it to.”

“Has this ever happened to you before?” Takato asked.

Aizawa shook his head.

“I suppose we have your unique constitution to thank for that.”

“I was hoping it could work.” Takato sighed in disappointment.

“We’ll figure it out. Don’t worry.” Tsukauchi reassured him.

“The counseling will help you gain better control of your emotions as well so that you will be less likely to get triggered,” Aizawa pointed out.

“If you think it will help. I’ll give it a try,” Takato conceded.

“That’s all we ask.”

Chapter Text

“Was there a villain attack?” Midnight asked Nedzu once they were in his office.

“No. I would not be as calm if that was the case,” Nedzu replied.

“But that scream… I still get shivers remembering it,” Midnight said.

“Everything you heard and witnessed resulted from a traumatized young child losing control over his extremely powerful quirk after a nightmare.” Nedzu sat at his desk and gestured for Midnight and Hound Dog to sit as well.

“That kid has a presence,” Midnight agreed. “I’ve never seen Eraser Head take such an interest in a child before. The question is… why is he here?”

“Mr. Matsuki’s unique quirk garnered good and bad attention. As of right now, U.A. would be the safest place for him.”

“What kind of quirk does he possess?” Hound Dog asked, speech halted by his growls. “He doesn’t smell human.”

“It would take too much time to go into the full extent of his abilities. The simplest way to describe it is as a quirk that allows him to create a familiar through converting data into physical matter. It also gave him a connection that allows his familiar to allow to more powerful forms and for Mr. Matsuki to utilize the same abilities.”

“He created a sentient being out of data?” Midnight repeated, eyes wide in surprise.

“One with an instinctive skill for combat,” Nedzu replied.

“Is this familiar dangerous?” Hound Dog asked.

“There’s no denying that Guilmon has the potential to be dangerous, but his primary focus is, and always will be, protecting Mr. Matsuki. He has already shown significant restraint in using his powers against humans after a group of hired goons attacked Mr. Matsuki several weeks ago. He could have killed them without blinking an eye, but instead, he opted to intimidate them into submission. They may be young, but both Mr. Matsuki and his partner have demonstrated excellent judgment in the face of danger.

“There would be a lot of people interested in taking advantage of a quirk like that,” Midnight said, eyes glazed over as she imagined the possibilities.

“Which is why I asked for discretion on both of your parts,” Nedzu agreed.

“Why tell us at all?” Hound Dog asked.

“Mr. Matsuki’s quirk has immeasurable potential, but it also is highly responsive to his emotions, which makes it highly volatile. I would like for you to work with him, Hound Dog, to help him process everything that he has gone through. I believe it would be vital to help him stabilize his mental state as well as help him gain further control of his abilities.”

“I can see what I can do, but I’ll need more information before I start to see what I have to work with,” Hound Dog replied.

“I’ll provide you with a more detailed debrief later on once Mr. Matsuki approves,” Nedzu agreed.

“Was there a particular reason you brought me into the fold?” Midnight wondered.

“There is,” Nedzu began. “I pray we never have to utilize your quirk for this reason, but if Mr. Matsuki’s emotions become too heightened, and his quirk goes out of control, we will need you to sedate him. I wish no harm to fall on him, but we will need to protect others as well.”

“I can do that if that’s what it takes.”

“Thank you.”

“So you’ve explained why the boy is here and why you want us to help him. You still haven’t explained what happened earlier. If Mr. Matsuki’s quirk involves creating and evolving a data-based familiar, how did he cause the incident earlier today?” Hound Dog asked.

“From what I observed, Mr. Matsuki’s ability to manipulate data can indirectly influence nearby electronic devices. We have witnessed mild disruptions whenever his partner evolves, but never to this magnitude. I believe the intensity of his emotional outburst led to the widespread effect we witnessed earlier.”

“That reminds me of something,” Midnight’s brow furrowed. She closed her eyes as she tried to recall what she had forgotten before they shot wide-open seconds later.

“The Fog Banks… there was a similar electrical disruption at that time too.”

Nedzu nodded.

“Indeed there was,” he agreed. “It is not common knowledge that Mr. Matsuki was connected to the incident. He was found at Ground Zero. From what the boy has been able to tell us, we now believe that the incident came as a result of Mr. Matsuki’s escape from the villain that sought to use the boy’s abilities for his own nefarious purpose.”

“So he’s already on a villain’s radar,” Hound Dog grimaced. “That’s why you’re so protective of him.”

A knock interrupted Nedzu’s response.

“Who is it?”

“Aizawa. I have Detective Tsukauchi and his charge with me as well.”

“Recovery Girl is as efficient as ever,” Nedzu said as Aizawa, Takato, Gigimon, and a neatly bandaged Tsukauchi entered the room.

Takato hurried over, pausing only to give Midnight and Hound Dog a wary glance before pulling out the third and final chair and gesturing for Tsukauchi to sit down.

“I’m fine,” the detective insisted, only to cave under the force of Takato’s puppy dog eyes. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything,” Aizawa replied, eyes filled with mirth and his trademark grin splitting his face.

“You didn’t have to,” Tsukauchi said as he stroked Gigimon’s back after the Digimon settled in his lap.

“As amusing as this exchange is, I believe it would benefit us all to get back on topic,” Nedzu advised the group, who accepted his words without argument. “First of all, allow me to properly introduce two vital members of the U.A. Staff. This is the R-Rated Hero, Midnight. She teaches Modern Hero Art History. Her quirk is called Somnambulist, which allows her to release a sleep-inducing aroma. She is quite effective in subduing her enemies… or students who have lost control of their quirks, which tends to be a rare, but not entirely nonexistent, occurrence.”

Understanding dawned upon Takato, but he didn’t address Nedzu’s hint directly as he turned to Midnight.

“You knocked out the Suicide Bomber guy at the police station that day,” he recalled. “I thought we were all goners, but you made it look so easy.”

“I’m glad you enjoyed the show, cutie,” Midnight purred, bending over to meet his eyes, uncaring of how she showed off her assets. To her disappointment, Takato was desensitized to the appearance of scantily clad women thanks to his time in the Digital World, which was filled with many beautiful humanoid Digimon.

Aizawa smacked his forehead in the face of his friend’s lack of filter while Tsukauchi reddened and covered Takato and Gigimon’s eyes, albeit a little late.

“Time and place, Midnight,” Nedzu admonished, clearing his throat.

“Right, sorry.” Midnight straightened up. “I was trying to lighten the mood.”

“Moving on,” Nedzu said, gesturing to the canine hero who had yet to be addressed. “This is the Hound Hero: Hound Dog. His quirk, as you can likely guess, is Dog. Aside from being a Pro Hero, he is also the guidance counselor here at U.A.”

“Mr. Aizawa told me about him earlier. It is nice to meet you both.” Takato bowed politely, now more relaxed than he had been when he first saw them.

“Are you feeling better now, Mr. Matsuki?” Nedzu asked once the introductions were over.

“A little,” the Tamer said.

“I’m glad to hear that,” the Principal responded. “We’ll talk later, Midnight. For now, you are free to go.”

Midnight accepted the dismissal without argument, winking at Takato before giving Aizawa a playful goodbye and leaving the room.

“Before I dismiss Hound Dog as well, I’d like to know if Eraser Head or Detective Tsukauchi spoke with you about counseling.”

“They did,” Takato said. “I’ll admit that previous attempts haven’t gone well, but I’m willing to try it if you think it will help.”

“That’s all we can ask of you. Would you be okay with filling him in on everything?”

Takato glanced at Hound Dog in consideration.

“Let’s see how the first session goes first.”

“That’s… grr… fair,” Hound Dog spoke for the first time, intriguing both Tamer and Digimon with his manner of speech.

“We’ll arrange a time that works for both of you,” Nedzu said before dismissing Hound Dog and turning to Tsukauchi. “What came of your investigation yesterday?”

“Not as much as I would have liked,” the detective replied with a grimace. “We went over every alibi, and they all checked out. Not a single person – teacher, student, nor administrator – could have attacked Gigimon.”

“Does that mean someone came from the outside? I didn’t see anyone.” Aizawa frowned.

Tsukauchi shook his head.

“We reviewed all of the CCTV footage. No one entered the school,” he said before remembering something. “There was a moment, no longer than a second, where the footage on all of the cameras flickered.”

Nedzu’s eyes narrowed.

“Flickered? As in how all digital devices malfunction when Gigimon evolves?”

Takato and Gigimon perked up, catching onto the Principal’s thought process.

“You think Daemon, in whatever form he’s currently in, came to the school in person. He had to know that would be a risky move. Gigimon may have been drugged, but my D-Arc would have… Oh…” Takato faltered as he remembered that Nedzu still possessed his D-Arc.

“He picked his time wisely.” Aizawa’s expression darkened. “Which means he’s aware of what we have been up to so far, at least to some degree.”

“Not necessarily,” Tsukauchi countered. “The school is one of the places where we couldn’t prevent possible surveillance. Daemon may have noticed that Takato didn’t carry his D-Arc these past few days and decided to take a chance.”

“Maybe so, but we cannot disregard the possibility that he had picked up on a few of our plans before we upped our security against him.”

“Does that pose a problem for us?” Tsukauchi sked.

“I don’t believe so. Until this point, the majority of what we have done has been establishing early preventative measures against him, all actions of which he could predict. The only thing I can imagine he could do that could possibly harm us would be if he exposed Mr. Matsuki’s secret to the public, something he could have done much earlier on if that was his desire. He’s not interested in Takato’s downfall,” Nedzu said after a few minutes of deliberation.

Takato frowned as he considered the Principals’ words.

“If he did choose that route, he likely would have a contingency plan to keep me out of unwanted hands. Knowing him, if he made that move, I wouldn’t be the one who suffered the worst consequences,” he said before glancing at the adults. “It would be all of you.”

“You’re not wrong,” Nedzu conceded. “If the Hero Commission learned that we knew of a catastrophic threat and hid it from them, we would face dire consequences.”

Takato winced. His dream, as unpleasant as it had been, revealed his greatest vulnerability and the likely course Daemon would take against him: his allies.

Takato knew he needed the adults in front of him for support, but he didn’t want them to suffer because of him either.

“If it comes between keeping my secret and your freedom….” He began before Aizawa interrupted him.

“Don’t even go there, Problem Child. You’re not getting rid of us that easily. We all knew what we were getting into when we chose to help you. Consequences included.”

“I won’t abandon you. Not now, not ever,” Tsukauchi promised Takato.

“Nor will I,” Nedzu agreed. “Do not fret. I doubt Daemon would pull that move now. He would not take the chance to release the Hazard if he didn’t possess the strength to withstand it somehow. That gives us time to set up contingencies in case the worst scenario happens.”

“You have a point,” Takato said. “I think he got caught by surprise last time we fought. I don’t think even he would have anticipated ChaosGallantmon.”

“ChaosGallantmon?” Nedzu repeated, cocking his head to the side.

“Oh, right. You weren’t there,” Takato realized before filling Nedzu in. It was no easier retelling the nightmare again, but he managed to get through it.

 “A second dark digivolution,” Nedzu mused. “One strong enough to overpower a Demon Lord. That is certainly a new variable to consider… but at a later date. We still have much to discuss. What did you find out about the drugged food, Detective Tsukauchi?”

“We were able to trace which student gave what food to Gigimon, but that’s where things get confusing,” Tsukauchi said, sighing in frustration. “After we traced the students, it turned out they received the food from other students. When we interrogated those students, they all denied it and each had a valid alibi. The only way it would have been possible was if they were in two places at once and none of them possess a cloning quirk.”

“There’s another possibility to consider,” Nedzu mused. “We could be dealing with a shapeshifter.”

“Nobody in the school possesses a quirk like that,” Tsukauchi said. “That doesn’t rule out an outsider.”

“Is there something wrong, Mr. Matsuki?” Nedzu asked, noticing the boy’s pensive look.

“Not really,” the Tamer replied. “I just feel like I heard about a shapeshifting quirk before… I can’t remember where or when.”

“A shapeshifter in Daemon’s employ poses a significant risk,” Aizawa frowned. “They could be near Takato any time, and we would be none the wiser.”

“That brings up the next topic,” Tsukauchi said, sending an apologetic smile to Takato. “You won’t be able to return to that school.”

“Why? Did I do something wrong?” Takato asked, confused.

“It doesn’t have to do with anything you did,” Tsukauchi reassured him. “The administration believes that your presence poses a significant risk to the other students given that you’re a target of a villain still at large. It doesn’t help that the other parents learned of that fact as well. They don’t want their children in danger.”

“I can’t blame them,” Takato said, shoulders slumping in defeat. He’d witnessed similar backlash in his world after the return of the Digimon led to unrest. The Tamers’ teachers defended them and the school backed them up. Instead, many of the students were taken out of the school.

Here, Takato didn’t have the same support.

He couldn’t help the disappointment though. He may not have made friends, but he’d started to get used to his new environment. It would suck to have to do it again.

“Where will I go now?”

“About that…” Tsukauchi scratched the back of his neck, conflicted. “I don’t think that it’s safe for you to go back to school anymore. Not in the traditional sense anyways. It’s too risky when Daemon has so many ways to get to you. Whatever measures we take to protect you may not be enough.”

Takato’s jaw dropped, not expecting the bomb Tsukauchi dropped on him.

Sensing his distress, Gigimon leaped into his Tamer’s arms to comfort him.

“If Takato doesn’t go back to school, does that mean he can’t become a hero?”

“There’s no need to worry. I won’t allow Mr. Matsuki’s education to suffer despite the threats he faces,” Nedzu reassured them. “We can teach Mr. Matsuki here. There is no safer place for either of you.”

“But U.A. is too far to come every day,” Takato pointed out.

“Not if you stay on the premises,” Tsukauchi replied.

Takato’s heart nearly stopped, not expecting his guardian’s words.

“You’re… you’re giving me up?” he asked, voice soft and broken. His eyes burned with the urge to cry but he had no tears left to shed.

He promised that he wouldn’t abandon me.

Gigimon nuzzled him, trying to calm him even as Tsukauchi’s eyes widened in alarm.

“No! Definitely not,” Tsukauchi insisted, realizing how his words were interpreted. “I’m not saying you have to stay here permanently. Only until I can make appropriate arrangements to shift here too. I can’t say how long that will take, but I’ll make it happen. I just thought U.A. may be safer for you.”

Takato could understand Tsukauchi’s intentions and he logically knew that U.A. was his best bet, but he was tired of constantly being uprooted from his home. He wasn’t sure he could handle more. Knowing that Tsukauchi would so far to keep their bond helped soothe his fears. Still, he couldn’t help but ask.

“You’d do that for me?”

“I made a promise. That’s not something I take lightly,” Tsukauchi said. “There’s a lot we’ll have to sort out, but we’ll tackle it one step at a time.”

“Thank you…”

Chapter Text

Takato didn’t want to admit it but staying at U.A. came with many different perks, and not only for him.

Now that Takato was safe within the confines of the hero school, Aizawa was free to return to his usual hero work and investigation. His search for Daemon was made easier by the detection devices Nedzu made based off of Takato’s D-Arc.

Two other devices were made, given to Tsukauchi and Edgeshot, who had yet to learn about Daemon’s true nature, but he remained steadfast in his search for the elusive demon.

Nedzu hoped that the devices would not only help the three catch wind of any Digimon activity, but to also provide much needed data to perfect the larger scale detection grid that Nedzu built in the school.

Nedzu hoped to mass produce the devices to be distributed to all of the Pro Heroes to expand the range of the detection grid further. He would only do that if the primary test proved successful.

Guilmon had been more than happy to help test the accuracy of the devices, playing a long and wide-ranged game of hide-and-seek with Aizawa, Edgeshot and Tsukauchi until Nedzu was satisfied with the findings.

Takato worried about putting the Pro Heroes in danger if they were to hunt Daemon down without knowing what they were getting into, but Nedzu reassured him that they would be thoroughly debriefed with the information required without giving away the information about Digimon or the Digital World.

Nedzu’s detection grid did not yet match that of Hypnos, but Takato had a feeling it would only be a matter of time before the grid surpassed Hypnos’ given the technological superiority in this world.

In the meantime, Takato searched for Digimon the only way he could: watching the news.

While he saw no sign of Digimon, he saw plenty of footage of the American hero now working on Japanese soil: Captain Celebrity.

The hero had an impressive skill set, but there was something about him that Takato didn’t like.

Captain Celebrity seemed to care more for media attention than his duty as a hero. That was a part of hero society that Takato wasn’t fond of.

Takato was caught by surprise when he found out that Makoto worked at Captain Celebrity’s agency. She entertained him with stories of how she kept the flirtatious hero in check. He particularly enjoyed the story of how she got him to agree to an all-male entourage. It served the hero right for trying to make a move on Makoto, especially when he was already married.

Takato looked forward to his regular phone calls with Makoto, as they helped keep his mind off everything that had been going on. She made him feel like a regular kid again.

His time at U.A was spent either focusing on his studies, training (now properly structured thanks to Gankoomon providing a training regimen now that Takato was communicating with them more regularly), in counseling with Hound Dog (which wasn’t going as bad as Takato anticipated) and on various experiments meant to help improve their defenses against Daemon with the help of the Royal Knights, as Takato had looped the Principal into their communications. The time was productive, but exhausting, which was why he was happy that Hound Dog advised that he spend some time outside of U.A. despite Detective Tsukauchi’s reservations.

Armed with a newly equipped panic button in his D-Arc, Takato was over the moon to be granted the chance to go out with Makoto for a relaxed day off.

“I thought they would never let you out of there,” Makoto said, embracing Takato when he stepped out of the subway station alongside Aizawa.

“The detective can be overprotective,” the underground hero remarked with a dry smile before turning to Takato. “I’ll meet you back here at 6:00 P.M. Don’t be late, otherwise you know what Detective Tsukauchi will do.”

“I’ll be here,” Takato promised. He doubted that he would be completely unsupervised, but he appreciated the adults’ efforts to grant him some semblance of freedom.

Once they were alone, Takato turned to Makoto.

“So where are we going today?”

“Well, I was planning on introducing you to Captain Celebrity and showing you what it’s like to manage a hero agency, but that may have to wait for another day,” Makoto replied with a sheepish smile.

“Why? Did something happen?” Takato asked. He wasn’t too disappointed about not meeting the flamboyant hero, but he couldn’t deny that he was curious to know what the hero was like in person.

“You remember that underclassmen I mentioned once before, right?”

“You mean the one you thought may be one of the vigilantes you’ve been looking into, but it turned out that he wasn’t?”

“That’s right. You’ve got a good memory,” Makoto praised, ruffling his hair. “He called me earlier in a panic. It turns out his mother is coming to visit, and he had lied and told her that he had a girlfriend. If he doesn’t prove that he has one, she’ll drag him back home. So he asked me if I could help him pretend.”

“And you agreed?” Gigimon asked, poking out from where he hid underneath Takato’s hood.

“I couldn’t deny such an earnest request,” Makoto replied. “Besides, I thought it may be a little fun. If that’s not how you want to spend your free day, I understand. I can always cancel.”

“No, that’s not necessary. Is he okay if we tagged along?” Takato couldn’t imagine a guy interested in Makoto wanting to entertain her nephew.

“There’s no need to worry,” Makoto said as they stepped onto their next train. “Koichi said there would be no problem if you came with us.”

“If he’s okay with it, then so am I,” Takato replied before glancing around. “Where are we going?”

“Koichi lives in Naruhata,” Makoto said. “We’re just going to his house, so there’s little chance of an Instant Villain attack thee. Naomasa won’t have to worry. I already cleared it with him first and promised not to let you out of my sight.”

Takato, who had been about to voice his concerns about the location, relaxed.

“As long as he’s okay with it,” he said. “There have been a lot of Instant Villain attacks recently.”

“Yeah. They are driving Naomasa nuts even though he doesn’t say anything about it.”

Takato knew what Makoto spoke about. Although Tsukauchi did his best not to speak about work, there was always an underlying tension tainting his voice and expressions. Until this case settled, Tsukauchi wouldn’t be able to fully shift closer to U.A., and that added strain to both Tsukauchi and Takato.

A few weeks had already passed since Takato moved to U.A. full-time and while he had daily phone calls with Tsukauchi and Makoto along with weekend visits, it wasn’t the same as staying together. Takato never realized how attached he’d become to the Tsukauchi siblings until he no longer lived under their roof.

“The property damage alone is nothing to blink at,” Makoto said. “Although, the heroes are just as guilty as the villains in that regard.”

“People often see property damage as a necessary evil, but that’s not the case. Sometimes it’s inevitable, but that doesn’t give anyone the right to be careless. Not even the heroes,” Takato said. The Tamers had gotten a lot of flak about the damage from their fights, especially those that involved heavy hitters like WarGrowlmon and MegaGargomon. They had to learn quickly on how to minimize their contributions to the damaged surroundings.

Makoto stared at Takato with wide eyes, making him feel self-conscious.

“…What?”

“You never cease to amaze me,” she said. “You’re only twelve years old, but you sometimes seem wiser than people four times your age.”

Takato scratched his chin sheepishly. He couldn’t explain his personal experience on the matter.

“I… I had a teacher who liked talking about things like that. I found the information interesting, so it stuck,” he said, glad that she wasn’t touching him at the moment.

They walked in silence once they reached their station, content in each other’s company.

“We’re here,” Makoto said as they stood in between two questionably stable buildings.

“Er…” Takato’s eyes flitted between the two buildings uncertainly. “Where?”

“Koichi’s apartment is at the top of that building,” Makoto pointed to the one she spoke of.

“This doesn’t look safe.”

“How does he get up there?” Gigimon asked, gawking at the buildings.

“He uses his quirk. I’ll call him to let him know we’re here so he can help us up.”

“No need for that,” Takato said as Gigimon hopped off his head and digivolved to Guilmon.

Makoto looked on in interest as Takato swiped the Hyper Wings card and Guilmon gained three pairs of wings.

“Oh, wow That’s amazing. I didn’t know you could do that with your quirk,” Makoto said, eyes glowing with excitement.

Takato just smiled before climbing onto Guilmon’s back and holding out a hand for Makoto.

“Come on.”

Without even a hint of hesitation, Makoto joined Takato as Guilmon flew them up to the apartment before returning to his In-Training form.

“Should we knock?” the Digimon asked once they landed.

Makoto shook her head.

“No. The door’s open. Koichi told me to come right in,” she said before doing just that.

Takato took in the apartment curiously, taking notice of the droopy-eyed black-haired male standing with a strict older woman that the Tamer assumed was his mother. The apartment was sparsely furnished but comfortable. An All Might poster was the only decoration that made the apartment seem more lived in. There were a couple other lingering scents in the room that Takato found interesting as they didn’t belong to anyone in the room. The apartment looked too small to hold more than one tenant but whoever the scents belonged to must frequent the apartment a lot.

“I’m Tsukauchi Makoto. Pleased to meet you, Ma’am,” Makoto bowed politely to the older woman. “Koichi and I are seeing each other.” She pushed Takato forward, encouraging him to introduce himself as well.

Feeling curious eyes on him, Takato gave them a shy smile and wave.

“I’m Matsuki Takato, Makoto’s nephew. Sorry to intrude.”

“I hope you don’t mind that I brought him along. I finally managed to wrangle him out of my brother’s overprotective grasp for a day out when Koichi told me that you were visiting. I couldn’t miss the chance to meet you.”

“That’s no problem,” Koichi reassured her before smiling at Takato. “I’m Haimawari Koichi. Nice to meet you.”

“Thank you for allowing me into your home.”

“It’s no problem,” the older male said.

“Do you have anything to eat?” Gigimon asked, startling both Koichi and his mother.

“Woah. I thought that was a stuffed animal!” Koichi exclaimed, staring at Gigimon with wide eyes.

“You just ate an hour ago on the train,” Takato scolded his partner before giving Koichi an apologetic smile. “This is Gigimon, my familiar. Sorry about his rudeness. He’s a glutton.”

“That’s no problem,” Koichi said once his shock subsided. He leaned forward to get a closer look at Gigimon. “It’s nice to meet you. I’ve never seen anyone like you before, Gigimon.”

“I’m one of a kind,” the Digimon replied with a cheeky smile.

“I would love to give you some food, but I’m running low on groceries at the moment,” Koichi apologized, eyeing his mother nervously as he said so.

“You should always be prepared for your guests,” his mother scolded him. “Maybe you’re not as ready to live on your own as I thought.”

“I would have been ready if you’d given me better notice,” Koichi protested. “Besides… it’s not my fault they keep mooching off of me.”

The last sentence had been spoken so quietly that Takato was sure that neither he nor Gigimon would have picked it up without their enhanced hearing.

Who’s he talking about? He must be referring to those other scents in the room.

Takato waited for Koichi to elaborate but instead, he leaned forward to Makoto who had just finished placating his mother.

“Sorry about this weird favor, senpai.”

Makoto giggled.

“This is going to cost you,” she sang quietly before approaching Koichi’s mother. “I’m a few years ahead of Koichi at our school.”

“What a charming lady,” Koichi’s mother said with a pleased smile before pausing. A moment later, she frowned and barked her son’s name while appearing to slap him from several feet away.

Takato gaped at the unexpected quirk use, surprised by her sudden change of behavior.

What happened?

“Enough of this ridiculous act? Why would someone as put together as her… ever go out with someone like you?”

Ouch. That was harsh.

What came next was a rapid interchange of words that Takato and Guilmon remained silent witnesses to. The conversation may not have anything to do with them, but Takato couldn’t help relaxing. Something like this felt so normal in comparison to the current chaos in his life. It was refreshing.

Koichi’s mom was in the middle of asking Makoto to become her daughter-in-law when the doorbell rang and a cute pink-haired girl steeped inside, a deep blush spread across her face.

Takato instantly recognized that she was the owner of one of the two unaccounted for scents. She must be one of Koichi’s frequent visitors.

Noticing her cute clothes and shy expression, it wasn’t hard to realize the girl’s intentions.

If there was already a girl willing to pretend to be his girlfriend, why did Koichi ask Makoto to help?

The girl scanned the room before her eyes fell on Makoto. Flushing even harder, she tried to leave before Koichi stopped her.

Through the following exchange that he wasn’t sure he was meant to hear, Takato clued in on one important fact.

Koichi was completely oblivious to the girl’s affection.

The girl decided to stay in the end, introducing herself as Haneyama Kazuho, something that seemed to surprise Koichi as well.

He doesn’t know her name? There’s no doubt that they are familiar with each other. Her scent is all over his apartment. How could he not know her name?  Takato looked between the two of them with curiosity. And what was it that he tried to call her? Po- something…

Makoto and Koichi’s mom started to question how they knew each other when a tall, muscular man entered the room, causing both Koichi and Kazuho to panic.

Here’s the other scent.

Takato didn’t know how the trio all knew each other. They all looked like they had absolutely nothing in common, but he knew from personal experience, that he shouldn’t judge a book by its cover.

The Tamer gaped when Makoto expressed her admiration for the older an in unison with Koichi’s mom. That was the last thing he expected.

“You’re sure looking spiffy today, Master,” Koichi commented, catching Takato’s interest.

“This is my mom and senpai from school,” Koichi gestured tot eh two chatting women before nodding towards Takato. “This is my senpai’s nephew and his familiar.”

Takato couldn’t help but stand straight under the man’s gaze. There was something about the man that made Takato feel like he could see through them, but it was hard to tell.

“Pleased to meet you all,” the man said as he fished out a business card and gave it to Koichi’s mother. “My name’s Kuroiwa.”

Takato relaxed once the attention was off of him and he focused instead on the whispered conversation between Koichi and Kazuho.

“A business card…? Didn’t even know he had a name. Kuroiwa…” Koichi muttered.

“’Course he’s got a name,” Kazuho hissed back.

All of them clearly know each other well but don’t know each other’s names. Weird…

Takato knew it wasn’t his business, which was why he didn’t bring his observations to light, but he couldn’t help his curiosity. He could see why Makoto was so intrigued by Koichi, especially as Kuroiwa spoke of their volunteer work and Koichi’s mother spoke of her son’s altruistic behavior.

“I must say, you look awfully strong. What a body!” Makoto exclaimed, setting her sights on Kuroiwa and grasping his bicep with a gleam in her eye. “Did you used to have a different job? Military? Police? Or maybe, you were a hero?”

Takato groaned, recognizing her attempt to pry information out of her intended target. Before he could say anything, Koichi’s mother admonished her for expressing interest in an older male.

“Stick with ordinary people. You know how it goes with heroes. They let themselves get used until their own lives fall apart. My Koichi used to have heroic aspirations…”

As Koichi’s mother continued to criticize him for his dreams, going as far as to call Koichi unreliable, Kazuho’s defense was loud and sudden, startling everyone.

Embarrassed by her own actions, Kazuho scampered away and Koichi soon followed at Makoto’s insistence.

Takato watched all of this in a bemused fashion, glad to be a silent observer in the entire situation.

“I don’t get it, Takatomon. Why did that girl run?” Gigimon asked him aloud, catching everyone’s attention.

“You can talk.” Kuroiwa’s eyes widened with interest.

“Of course I can,” Gigimon chirped. “Takato created me so that I could be his friend. I wouln’t be as good a friend if I couldn’t talk, now could I?”

“Created?” Kuroiwa repeated, raising an eyebrow as Takato hissed at his partner to be quiet. He didn’t want to go into his “quirk” with the observant stranger.

“It’s a long story,” Takato hedged, grateful when the man pried no further.

“I’m sorry that we ignored you all of this time,” Koichi’s mother told him. “You must have been so bored.”

“Not at all,” Takato replied. “I’m just glad to spend time with Makoto.”

“Aren’t you the sweetest,” the older woman gushed. “Your parents must be so proud of you.”

Takato faltered. A flash of guilt went through him as he realized that he hadn’t thought of his parents in some time. He had grown too used to his new world, immersing himself in his efforts to get stronger in preparation of his fated rematch against Daemon. As his memories of them returned, his mood dipped down as he remembered just how much he missed them.

“Did I say something wrong?” Koichi’s mother asked, noticing the grief in his eyes.

“Takato’s parents were victims of a villain attack,” Makoto explained, placing a comforting hand on Takato’s shoulder. “It’s only been a couple of months since then. My brother took him in soon after.”

“I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to bring up bad memories,” the older woman said and Takato gave her a reassuring smile.

“Don’t worry about it. You didn’t know.”

“Was the villain ever caught?” Kuroiwa asked.

Takato shook his head.

“Unfortunately, he’s in the wind.”

“Don’t worry. Villains, no matter where they hide, always show up in the end,” Kuroiwa said, the smile on his face eerily blood-thirsty.

This guy is no average civilian.

Takato knew that look all too well. He’d faced too many enemies with similar expressions not to recognize a fighter. Now he was as curious as Makoto to know Kuroiwa’s history, but he restrained the desire. The Tamer had something to hide too. Respecting another’s secret while harboring his own was the right thing to do… as long as that secret didn’t harm anyone.

“What would you like to do when you grow up?”

“Um…” Takato chuckled nervously, thinking about the woman’s recent rant about heroes. “I want to be a hero… so that nobody goes through what I did. I know it comes with a lot of risks and it isn’t nearly as glorious as the media makes it out to be, but it’s still my goal.”

“It’s a dangerous job. Are you sure that you’re up to the challenge?” Kuroiwa asked him.

Takato and Gigimon glanced at each other before looking back at the older man.

“Definitely.”

Kuroiwa must have liked what he saw in their eyes as he smirked and gave them a nod of approval.

“Would you like a tour of Tokyo?” Makoto asked Koichi’s mother, changing the subject. “It’s a great day for sightseeing. I’m sure Takato would love it too, am I right?”

“It’ll be fun,” Takato agreed. He would love to get a better feel of this world’s Tokyo. Detective Tsukauchi hadn’t given him many chances to explore.

Little did he know that his penchant for trouble would continue to follow him.

Chapter Text

Takato should’ve known his luck would run out before the day ended.

The tour started well with a chance to see various sites, including All Might’s agency. Takato would’ve loved to see the inside, but they didn’t have time. Makoto promised they would come back another day.

Now though, Takato doubted that he’d get the chance

“Why does everything have to go downhill whenever I go out?” He complained as he clung to the bus seat before him, using his claws to keep upright despite the rough ride.

Only minutes passed since their tour bus suddenly went wild, now out of the driver’s control.

I can’t believe that we got caught in another Instant Villain attack. Takato nor Guilmon (who had digivolved from Gigimon the moment he’d sensed danger) sensed any digital activity. Detective Tsukauchi will never let me out again at this rate.

Takato felt a disproportionate amount of anger towards the mastermind behind this attack. He had yet to learn what they hoped to achieve with this stunt.

“I can stop this thing,” Guilmon offered, yelling to be heard over the passengers’ panicked screams.

“You can’t,” Takato protested, despite wishing they could take action. He thought back to Growlmon’s attempt to stop Locomon all those years ago. Despite Growlmon’s failure, at least Locomon had been empty and locked on a straight course.

On the other hand, the possessed bus may not have the strength of a Mega, but numerous civilians were on board, and the bus could go in any direction it pleased. If Growlmon intervened, countless people could end up hurt in the process. If Growlmon failed, he would be too slow to keep pace with the bus, separating him from Takato. They could afford neither scenario.

“Leave this to the professionals,” Makoto agreed, maintaining calm. “They’ve already been notified.”

Takato’s phone rang, and he quickly picked it up, knowing it could be only one of two people, given that Makoto was with him.

“Please tell me you’re not on the runaway bus,” Aizawa blurted out.

“I would,” Takato began, chuckling sheepishly. “But then I would be lying.”

“Damn it, Takato. You can’t stay out of trouble for one day, right?” Aizawa grumbled, exhausted.

“I’m no happier about this than you are,” Takato pointed out. “It’s not my fault this time. I’m starting to believe I’m cursed.”

“Me too. Stay put, Problem Child. Ingenium is on his way.”

“Good to know,” Takato replied before hanging up the phone, only to notice Koichi giving him a strange look. “What’s wrong?”

“You’re not scared,” the older male declared. “How are you not panicking like the rest of us?”

Takato scratched the back of his head. He’d been through so many crises at this point that he was desensitized to the dangers he faced. A small-scale incident like this barely fazed him, even if it wasn’t resolved yet.

“Let’s just say… I’ve had my fair share of dangerous experiences,” the Tamer replied. “The good news is that I’ve always got out of them. Ingenium is on his way, so we should be good to go sooner than later.”

“How do you know —” Koichi began, his voice drowned out by the sound of an engine.

Ingenium climbed on board moments later. The hero scanned the interior to ensure passenger safety, pausing as he recognized Takato and looking away when he met Koichi’s gaze.

What was that about?

Takato glanced between Koichi and Ingenium, wondering if they knew each other.

“What’s the situation?” Ingenium asked the panicked driver.

“Not good! The brakes and steering aren’t working!”

Ingenium’s brow furrowed as he contemplated the situation, and Takato couldn’t blame him. The Turbo Hero wouldn’t be able to stop the bus alone. The Tamer was curious to see how Ingenium would resolve the situation.

Maybe I could learn a thing or two…

“Hey! There are people up ahead!” Koichi called out as he propped his head out of the open bus door.

Takato peeked out with him, catching sight of a strange masked man holding a giant cat toy and a scared girl that he recognized as Pop Step standing at a fork in the road.

They’re two of the Naruhata Vigilantes that Makoto talks about. Takato couldn’t help but gape. He never thought that he would see them in person. His attention was snagged when he heard Koichi refer to the masked man as ‘Master.’

Wait… Takato’s eyes narrowed as the pieces fell into place. That would mean Koichi’s likely to be the third vigilante. What was his name again? The Cruller, I think…

Makoto yanked Takato back inside just as the bus swerved to the left, taking them down a less populated route.

“Stay inside, Takato. Naomasa would kill me if something happened to you. He probably still will for getting you into this mess,” the girl scolded.

“It’s not your fault,” Takato reassured her as he eavesdropped on Ingenium’s phone conversation with his crew. The bus headed towards a recently destroyed overpass, leaving them with a time limit before they all fell to their deaths. He hoped the Turbo Hero would come up with a solution soon. Otherwise, he and Guilmon may have to intervene whether they liked it or not.

“Is Pit O2 on its way?” Ingenium asked, smiling as he got confirmation. “Good. Match your speed and pull up alongside the bus. Get ready to transfer passengers.”

“What?” Koichi gaped while staring at their surroundings. “It’s too dangerous! Everything’s shaking!”

Ingenium didn’t seem fazed by Koichi’s concern. Instead, he smiled with absolute confidence.

“That’s where my promising new recruit comes in. Enigma!”

“Hey, hey!” A voice from outside called as a hulking, droopy-eyed figure made herself known, carefully transferring passengers two at a time.

Takato breathed a sigh of relief, glad the situation would soon resolve.

Ingenium has a good team. Takato felt a pang of sorrow as he thought of his team. They’d worked well together, and he knew they would be as good as Ingenium’s crew if they’d had time. Maybe one day, we can make that dream a reality.

“Takato, come on. It’s almost our turn,” Makoto urged, pushing him forward.

“Right,” he agreed, moving forward only to freeze as a familiar beeping filled the air.

No way.

Shakily, Takato pulled his D-Arc out, staring at the flashing red light in comprehension.

A glance outside revealed a growing Digital Field in the distance, small enough to be mistaken for a cloud. Takato knew better.

There’s no way Daemon or his allies could have reanimated any Digimon so quickly… which means…

Takato swore. The last thing they needed was for the barrier between this world and the Digital World to weaken.

“Takato!” Guilmon called out in alarm just as the Digimon and another passenger got carried to the other bus.

“Wait!” Takato protested, not wanting to be separated from his partner, especially with a Wild One out there.

“It’s okay, Takato.” Makoto placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. “We’ll join him soon.”

Takato wanted to argue, but then he noticed that he and Makoto were the only ones on board.

“Let’s go,” he said instead as Enigma reached for them.

Of course, that was when the possessed bus sped up even further, leaving Pit O2 in the dust.

Takato and Makoto tumbled back into the bus, unprepared for the sudden acceleration.

Consequently, Taktao lost hold of his D-Arc, which slid away, and his Digimon cards escaped their case and scattered across the bus floor.

Shit! Could this day get any worse?

Takato dove for his lost belongings, ignoring Makoto’s advice to leave them as they weren’t important, but he knew otherwise.

Takato knew that he could survive if he transformed and jumped off the bus, but the same couldn’t be said for Makoto.

Without Guilmon, his D-Arc, or his modify cards, Takato didn’t want to risk jumping out with Makoto in hand. She would get hurt without fail, and he refused to take that chance.

He knew Guilmon would likely give chase, given Takato was still in danger, but for once, Takato didn’t want his partner to come to his rescue.

Takato didn’t know if Guilmon could sense his wishes from this distance, but the Tamer silently willed the Digimon to go after the Wild One and leave his Tamer behind.

Aizawa knew his day would go too shit the moment he escorted Takato out of U.A. The Tamer’s track record spoke for itself. He just never knew it would be this bad.

It was bad enough that Takato and Guilmon were stuck in the middle of another Instant Villain attack. Now, however, they also had a rogue Digimon on their hands.

Aizawa instinctively wanted to save Takato and Guilmon, but he knew it would be better to seek out the Digimon. He would be a poor match-up against the possessed bus. Takato and Guilmon weren’t in danger since he knew they were fully capable of protecting themselves. Tsukauchi wouldn’t like this decision, but even he couldn’t argue against it.

Hang in there, kid. Don’t do anything too crazy. Aizawa prayed as he veered off in the opposite direction from where he had initially headed.

Aizawa reached the Digital Field after it was fully formed, pulling his goggles over his eyes when he remembered Takato’s warning about the need for eye protection.

Where are you? Aizawa didn’t dare voice the question aloud when he had yet to see what he was up against. This wasn’t like the regular Villain attacks he was used to. His quirk would not affect a Digimon. He would have to rely on his combat skills alone.

Fortunately, he was no stranger to situations that required similar measures.

Aizawa stopped advancing once he reached the presumed center of the Digital Field. While he couldn’t see anything, he knew he wasn’t alone. Hostile eyes tracked his every movement, but from where he didn’t know.

The crunch of gravel and claws scraping the asphalt gave Aizawa his first clue, and he ducked in time for a large club to swing through the area his head had just been. The displaced air from the swing nearly threw him off balance, and Aizawa knew that if the hit landed, he would have lost his head.

Aizawa spun around and tried to sweep his assailant’s legs out from under him to no avail as the Digimon leaped over him, landing several feet away with a loud thud.

He’s faster than he looks. Aizawa squinted as he finally laid eyes on the Digimon that attacked him.

The tall Digimon was green-skinned with unkempt white hair, pierced pointed ears, and two wicked horns atop his head. Spikes jutted from its shoulders while tusks popped out from his exaggerated lower jaw.

That’s one hell of an under-bite, Aizawa mused as he straightened up, eyes trained on the femur-like club gripped in the ogre’s hands. His detection device identified the Digimon as Ogremon.

“I don’t suppose we can talk things out, can we?” The underground hero asked, on the off chance that the Digimon had only lashed out in self-defense.

“Pummel Whack!”

That answers my question. Aizawa dodge rolled to avoid the ogre-shaped energy manifestation. The attack instead struck a nearby dumpster, causing it to burst into flame, a horrible stench permeating the air.

“I don’t have time to waste on you, so let’s finish this quick,” Aizawa said as he unfurled his capture weapon, eyes watering from his unpleasant surroundings.

“My thoughts exactly,” Ogremon replied with a feral grin, slamming his club into his other hand threateningly before lunging toward Aizawa.

Aizawa wrapped his capture weapon around a nearby fire escape railing, pulling himself out of the Ogremon’s path.

The fog started to clear, which Aizawa remembered wasn’t a good sign. If the Digital Field dispersed, the contained Digimon would be free to roam as they pleased. That was the last thing they needed.

I took too long to get here. Aizawa cursed as he dodged yet another Pummel Whack. He used the smoke from the attack to hide his actions as he wrapped his cloth around Ogremon’s torso, pulling himself towards the Digimon and driving his feet into the ogre’s chest with every ounce of force he could muster.

Pain shot up Aizawa’s legs from the impact, making him wince. Ogremon was sturdier than he looked. Despite all of Aizawa’s efforts, he barely made the Digimon stumble.

The brief second Aizawa loosened the capture cloth due to his pain gave Ogremon a chance to break loose.

Shit.

Aizawa wasn’t fast enough to retreat, and Ogremon grabbed his leg, flinging him into the brick wall below the fire escape he’d swung from.

The brick cracked under the force of the impact, and for a moment, Aizawa’s vision whitened as pain flared in his back. He crumpled to the ground, trembling as he tried to force his unresponsive body back on his feet.

This can’t be my limit. Aizawa coughed out blood as he glared at the chortling ogre. Digimon were undoubtedly powerful, but that didn’t make them invincible. Aizawa would have to adapt and find ways to overcome the power disparity… if he came out of this encounter alive.

Digging his nails into the cratered wall behind him, Aizawa slowly pulled himself to his feet, eyes locked on the Digimon, who hadn’t bothered to take advantage of the large opening he’d had while Aizawa gathered himself back up.

He doesn’t see me as a threat. Aizawa scowled as he prepared himself to resume the fight. He would make sure Ogremon regretted underestimating him.

Chapter Text

Principal Nedzu's day turned out busier than expected as he fielded calls from a panicked Tsukauchi and updates about the bus hijacking while gathering information about the bio-emergence.

He could handle all the tasks at once, but it had been a while since he had to stretch his attention out in many different directions.

Mr. Matsuki certainly knows how to keep us on our toes.

Nedzu studied the information he received about Ogremon, analyzing his strengths and weaknesses. The Champion-level Digimon would be a hard match-up for Eraser Head. The underground hero was well-versed in fighting strong enemies that he couldn't suppress with his quirk, but Digimon were unpredictable.

Nedzu knew that with the right circumstances, Eraser Head could succeed. The question was whether or not those variables would fall into place.

Maybe he shouldn't have been sent in alone… Nedzu sighed. Eraser Head was the only hero who knew of the digital threat. They hadn't anticipated the barrier between worlds getting breached already. The Royal Knights had reassured them that the weak point in the barrier left by the Digital Hazard was well-guarded. Surely, they would have given a warning.

As if on cue, a notification in Digimoji flashed across the screen.

Nedzu, who had previously memorized the code thanks to the translation key Takato provided, made quick work of deciphering the message.

DEMON LORDS. WIDE SCALE ATTACK. DIVERSION. BARRIER BREACHED.

Nedzu frowned. Things didn't look good for them if the Demon Lords decided to break the truce with the Royal Knights.

The odds were already stacked against us.

Nedzu mulled over whether or not they would be forced to expose the truth about Takato and Digimon to counter the threat when another message came through.

HELP IS ON THE WAY.

It took every ounce of Guilmon's will not to go feral. He hated being separated from Takato, but losing control wouldn't help save his Tamer.

The presence of another Digimon after so long threatened to throw Guilmon into a battle frenzy, but the knowledge that Takato was in danger smothered his bloodlust.

Guilmon could feel a trace of Takato's will through their stretched bond, urging him towards the Wild One, but the saurian Digimon ignored it.

Nothing took precedence over Takato's safety. Ever.

Besides… Guilmon's ears twitched as he turned towards the distant fog, taking a long sniff.

Someone was already more than capable of handling the threat nearby.

Ignoring the protests of Ingenium's sidekicks, Guilmon raced after Koichi and Ingenium, determined to save his partner.

Hang on, Takato. I'm coming.

"Leave them, Takato. Your cards aren't worth your life!" Makoto protested as Takato dove under another seat to grab his scattered Digimon cards. She wanted to stop him physically, but it took all of her energy not to be flung around by the rapidly swerving bus.

I got them!

Takato internally cheered as he collected another handful of cards. He quickly shoved them into his holster, not wanting to lose them again. He ignored Makoto's protests while he searched for his remaining cards. He only had a few left, including his Hyper Wings card. That card was essential to their survival.

"Woah!" Takato's claws scraped uselessly across the floor as the bus accelerated again, slamming him into the side of the bus.

Stars flashed across his vision as pain exploded in his back, worsened by the phantom ache of his lost wings. He had been able to ignore the discomfort for the most part, except for when it got agitated, like now.

"Ow…" he groaned, blinking rapidly to clear his vision.

"Are you okay?" Makoto called out, not able to see him from where she was.

"I'll survive," he reassured her, scanning the bus for his last cards. They lay on the floor at the back of the bus several feet away alongside his D-Arc.

Come on…

Takato knew they had little time left before the bus careened off the broken bridge. He couldn't afford to fail now.

"We're not going to die here!" He lurched forward to grab the last of his belongings when the bus door opened, distracting him.

"I am… here!"

Makoto gaped at the sight of the figure clad in an All Might jacket.

"Cruller… Koichi?"

He is one of the Vigilantes… Takato mused. Now all of the observations he'd made during the day made sense.

He didn't have time to think further when the bus lost the rest of its track, and it lost to gravity, falling towards a fiery demise.

Shit!

Takato's feet slipped out from under him as he slid toward the front of the bus. He slammed into the windshield, but fortunately, the glass didn't break.

"Are you okay?" Koichi asked him, Makoto already hanging onto his back. He reached for Takato, but the Tamer shook his head.

"I'm fine… just get her out of here," he told the vigilante.

"Wait, what?" Koichi gaped, not expecting those words. He'd expected Takato to be scared, but the Tamers' eyes were filled with steely determination.

"There's no time. Get her out of here! I can save myself!" Takato ordered, catching his D-Arc from the back as it flew towards him.

Makoto tried to argue when Koichi reluctantly agreed, but her words died, too, as he carried her onto the bus's roof.

Takato was about to follow when a sudden noise caught his attention. A large bag, dislodged from the seat it had been stuck on, slammed into him. He was sent straight through the shattered glass, stunned by the sudden impact.

"Crawler… jump!" Ingenium yelled as he surged forward. "I'll catch you!"

Unaware of Takato's new plight, Koichi focused on gliding up the bus towards the bridge with Makoto hanging onto his shoulders.

Unfortunately, he fell short of Ingenium's reach, and he and Makoto started to fall.

Desperation ran through him. Takato's determined expression flashed through his mind. The boy had entrusted Makoto to the vigilante. Koichi refused to let either of them down.

I'll make up the rest with force of will!

Adrenaline pumped through him, and the vigilante could barely process that he jumped off solid air as he fought to close the distance between him and Ingenium.

It still wasn't enough. Makoto and Koichi's eyes widened in alarm at the failure.

A red blur suddenly lunged at them, grabbing them and flinging them straight at Ingenium.

What was that?

Koichi didn't have the time to ponder the situation further as Ingenium caught Makoto while the vigilante skidded to a halt on the ground.

Makoto wrenched herself out of Ingenium's arms, standing at the edge of the bridge, frantically searching.

"TAKATO!"

She stared at the smoke coming from the bus on the ground below. There was no sight of her young charge.

"I thought he was right behind me," Koichi murmured, stomach dropping as he limped his way over. "He said he would save himself."

"And you believed him?" Makoto demanded, whirling on him. "He's just a child! You should've taken him instead of me!"

"I know, but there was something in his eyes…" Koichi said, looking into the distance. "They made me want to believe him."

"I hate to interrupt the two of you, but did either of you notice that the bus didn't really crash?" Ingenium said, frowning. "It's just hanging there."

Both Makoto and Koichi looked down again.

Indeed, the bus just hung there, with no debris around it. It wobbled from side to side, no longer possessed by the cat villain.

"W-what? How?" Koichi gaped, not able to comprehend the sight.

"I'm going down there for a closer look," Makoto decided, determined to find her missing charge.

"I'll come with you," Ingenium said.

"Me too," Koichi added, removing his jacket as they raced to join the converging crowd. They reached the bus just as it was placed on its side on a clear patch of ground.

"Who's that?" Koichi blurted, gawking at the tall, draconic figure that had caught the bus.

The red-scaled, white-haired male wore torn clothes that appeared a few sizes too small for him. His tattered shirt exposed his white-scaled abdomen while his pants ended just below his knees. He had two wicked horns atop his head and spiked elbows.

Feral golden eyes suddenly flitted toward a schoolgirl walking from the scene, and the dragon boy bared his teeth.

Midway through a snarl, the boy paused and turned towards Ingenium, Makoto, and Koichi.

Ingenium and Koichi instantly went on guard, but they were stunned as the dragon's eyes lost their feral nature, as an innocent grin crossed his face.

"You're okay!" Guilmon's familiar voice came out as the boy closed the distance and pulled the stunned woman into his arms. He lifted Makoto off of her feet due to his enthusiasm.

"G-Guilmon?" Makoto gasped, stunned by the sight of the Digimon's unfamiliar form. "Too tight!"

"Sorry." Guilmon gently put her down as Ingenium waved away concerned members of the Police Force, recognizing that Guilmon wasn't a threat. "I'm Growlmon now."

"You're Takato's familiar?" Koichi gaped, wondering just how many times Guilmon could change forms. "Speaking of Takato, where is he?"

Koichi had already looked around the nearby area and found no trace of the boy or his corpse.

He shook his head. There was no proof that Takato was dead yet. He didn't want to think that he failed the boy. He should've never let Takato convince him he would be okay alone.

All Might would have been able to save him…

"Takato's right," Growlmon said.

"Where?" Makoto asked. "I don't see him."

"I said he's right here, silly," Growlmon said, smacking a hand against his chest before wincing. "Ow. That hurt."

Ingenium, Makoto, and Koichi stared at Growlmon in stunned silence, barely comprehending his words.

"Do you mean to say that you're possessing him?" Ingenium asked Growlmon. "I didn't know that was part of Takato's quirk."

"I didn't either," Growlmon said. "One moment, I thought I wouldn't be able to save Takato, and the next moment, I'm like this!"

"You were that red blur, weren't you?" Koichi realized. "You saved us."

"I couldn't let you guys get hurt," Growlmon said with a shrug. "Takato would be upset."

“Is Takato okay?” Makoto asked.

"Yeah. He's just sleeping. He'll wake up soon. I think."

"Best to let him rest," Ingenium advised.

Makoto's phone rang, and she groaned as she saw her brother's name flash across the screen.

"I've got a lot of explaining to do…"

Chapter Text

“Oww…. My head…”

Gloved hands pushed the rubble off, allowing the newly awakened Digimon to get up and brush himself off.

He tried to recall what had happened before he passed out, but it was all a blur in his mind.

Figuring that he would eventually remember, he chose instead to focus on taking in his new surroundings.

I’m in the Real World?

It had felt like forever since the last time he’d been there, and yet, it felt like no time had passed.

He stood in the middle of an alleyway at the edge of what looked to be a gradually dissipating Digital Field.

How long was I out for?

A faint but familiar scent reached his nose, and the Digimon’s eyes widened.

It can’t be…

He started to run towards the source of the scent, catching sounds of battle up ahead.

He stopped short as he saw Ogremon fighting against a disheveled human clad in what looked like pajamas.

This guy doesn’t look like he works with the RDSF. What’s he doing fighting a Digimon?

He couldn’t help his curiosity even as he realized the source of the scent he sought was the human before him and not who he had expected to find.

No matter. He would find his answers eventually, but for now, he wanted to see how the fight in front of him played out.

Dust and debris polluted the air as Ogremon slammed into the wall head-first. Eraser Head had narrowly dodged the attack and tripped him with his capture cloth.

Now, Ogremon’s tusks were stuck in the brick, trapping him where he stood.

The battle up until this point had been a game of cat and mouse, as Eraser Head took the time to acclimate to Ogremon’s fighting style.

His patience earned Eraser Head a few more injuries but also angered Ogremon enough that he started to make mistakes. Eraser Head considered that a fair trade.

I may not match his strength, but I can use his against him.

Eraser Head bent down and grabbed Ogremon’s heavy club, wincing as it exacerbated the nasty gash in his side that he’d earned earlier courtesy of Ogremon’s spikes.

“This isn’t my weapon of choice, but beggars can’t be choosers,” Eraser Head drawled, hefting the club above his head and slamming it into Ogremon’s skull.

Ogremon sank to his knees, the force enough to dislodge his tusks from the wall. Groaning, he rolled onto his back to stare at Eraser Head.

“Well met, human. You are not as weak as you look,” the ogre said, calmer than the hero expected him to be after getting bested.

“You shouldn’t have underestimated me. We, humans, are a lot more resourceful than you think,” Eraser Head, hefting the bone club up onto his shoulder as a warning for Ogremon to behave.

“Indeed. Finish me off… if you have the nerve.”

Eraser Head froze, not expecting those words from the Champion-level Digimon.

“… What?”

Aizawa was torn. Heroes did their best to contain villains, but they rarely ever killed them… not unless there was no other choice.

Takato had warned them that Digimon believed in the survival of the fittest, but Eraser Head hadn’t been mentally prepared to witness that.

Eraser Head had no intention of killing Ogremon. However, he also didn’t have a better way to contain the Digimon, as they were still designing a proper containment method for rogue Digimon.

In the time when Eraser Head had hesitated, Ogremon had recovered and freed himself. Now, the Digimon loomed over Eraser Head, primed to rend him limb from limb.

Shit !

There was no time for Eraser Head to dodge, and he could only brace himself for the oncoming attack… which never came.

“ Electro Squall !”

This human’s not bad .

Wizardmon had expected that he would have to intervene a lot earlier in the fight, but the human seemed to hold his own.

Wizardman had been in enough battles to recognize when the tide turned, and he was impressed when the human managed to knock Ogremon out.

I like this guy… but what’s he doing?

Instead of finishing Ogremon, the man froze, caught in his internal conflict. It was as if he didn’t know what to do.

He’s not with the RDSF .

Wizardmon fidgeted the longer the man stood there without moving. If something weren’t done soon, the man’s hard work would go to waste.

What Wizardmon feared soon came to pass as Ogremon recovered and threatened the human again.

Crap !

Wizardmon could sit still no longer. The human had caught onto the danger too late.

Gathering his magic into his sun wand, Wizardmon cast his trademark spell.

“ Electro Squall! ”

Ogremon may hold the type advantage against Wizardmon and have the benefit of not being a newly digivolved Champion, but Wizardmon had the element of surprise. That made all the difference as the electric attack sent the ogre back into the wall.

Wizardmon paid no attention to the shocked human, knowing he had only seconds to finish the battle before Ogremon reclaimed the upper hand.

Instead of using his magic, he opted to use a quicker and definitively fatal move as he stabbed the sharp end of his wand straight through Ogremon’s right eye.

Ogremon didn’t have the chance to voice his pain before he dissolved into data, which Wizardmon absorbed without hesitation.

He then turned towards the human, who glanced between him and the empty spot where Ogremon was as if he couldn’t comprehend what he’d witnessed.

“Have you never seen a Digimon die before?” He asked. The Digimon doubted many humans remained oblivious to Digimon and how they died. Many Digimon battles had been broadcasted on television. This guy had to be a complete hermit not to know. He looked like one.

“This world has never had any Digimon until two months ago,” the human said. “Most people don’t even know Digimon exist, much less how they die.”

That couldn’t be right. Digimon had been exposed worldwide during the Deva attacks and the D-Reaper Invasion. What this man said couldn’t be true unless…

Memories of a sundered Firewall, countless battling Digimon, and a tall armored figure handing over a Digicore while slowly dissolving flashed through Wizardmon’s mind as he finally remembered how he had ended up in this world in the first place.

“This isn’t the human world I know,” Wizardmon realized, green eyes widening before glancing at the human again. “Who are you? How do you know about Digimon when you claim most people here don’t know of us?”

“Call me Eraser Head. That’s my Hero name,” the man said, eyes still full of distrust. Wizardmon couldn’t blame him. He did just kill someone in front of him.

“My name is Wizardmon. Here.” Wizardmon held his hand out. “ Magic Heal .”

Eraser Head blinked in surprise as his many wounds closed, leaving him in significantly improved condition.

“Why?” He asked.

“Not all Digimon are hostile towards humans,” Wizardmon said. “I’m not an enemy unless you make me one.”

“Noted,” Eraser Head replied. “As for why I know of Digimon, you are the second and third Digimon I’ve ever met.”

“So we weren’t the first to bio-emerge here. Who was the first?” Wizardmon asked, frowning as Eraser Head hesitated.

The man seemed to consider him briefly before his eyes fell on the object hanging from Wizardmon’s neck.

“Is that a D-Arc?”

Wizardmon stiffened as his glove hand grabbed the purple-rimmed digivice. If this world didn’t know about Digimon, how did Eraser Head know what a D-Arc was?

The Digimon caught another whiff of the familiar scent that initially lured him to his current location, and the puzzle pieces fell into place.

“Where are they? Where are Takato and Guilmon?”

Eraser Head didn’t know what to think of Wizardmon.

The Digimon saved his life and then ended Ogremon’s without the slightest hesitation. Wizardmon healed his wounds but absorbed Ogremon’s data. Wizardmon possessed a D-Arc.

From everything Eraser Head knew so far, Wizardmon seemed like more of an ally versus an enemy, but appearances could be deceiving.

The underground hero’s guard returned when Wizardmon asked about Takato and Guilmon.

The only other Digimon Eraser Head knew of pursued Takato for nefarious purposes. Aizawa didn’t know Wizardmon’s intentions.

“Where’s your Tamer?”

Wizardmon’s expression shuttered, but not before Eraser Head saw the pain in them.

“Gone. That’s all I’ll say.”

Recognizing the hard limit for what it was, Eraser Head moved on to the next question.

“From what I was told, there was no Wizardmon amongst the Tamed Digimon.”

Wizardmon gave a dry chuckle.

“Until a few hours ago, I wasn’t Wizardmon. This is a very new Digivolution, so count your blessings that I was able to get the drop on Ogremon,” Wizardmon said before pausing. “Then again, I would have just warp digivolved, so no, you were never in any real danger.”

“Who are you?” Eraser Head asked.

“It would be easier to show you, but de-digivolving from Champion to Rookie is somehow a lot harder than from Mega to Rookie,” Wizardmon said, and something clicked in Eraser Head’s mind.

“You must be Impmon.” From what Takato said, Impmon was the only Digimon who didn’t need to Biomerge to become a Mega (excluding that one Digimon that was permanently a Mega.)

“In the flesh… sort of,” Wizardmon said. “Now, I’ll ask again. Where are Takato and Guilmon?”

Now that the fight was over and the adrenaline faded, Eraser Head could focus on something more than the here and now.

“I don’t have an easy answer for you just yet,” Eraser Head admitted, pulling out his cell phone.

“Why not? It’s a simple question,” Wizardmon said.

“Nothing about those two is simple,” Eraser Head reported as he dialed Takato’s number.

“It doesn’t look like there is any way we can salvage it,” Gigimon said as Takato stared at the burned remains of what used to be his Hyper Wings card. He had separated from Takato once the Tamer woke up.

Ingenium had been kind enough to retrieve it for Takato from the bus wreckage, but now the Tamer couldn’t help but wonder if it would have been better off not to. At least he could have held onto the illusion of hope for a bit longer.

“This is the second time we lost our wings,” Takato said mournfully.

“We’ll get them back.” Gigimon nuzzled against his partner. “One day.”

“Yeah…” Takato murmured as his attention got snagged by his phone ringing. He winced guiltily at the cracked screen before answering the call.

“We’re okay,” he told Aizawa, knowing the first question. “I should be asking you that. Did you manage to take care of it?”

“I’m okay, too,” Aizawa replied. “Where are you? It would be best for us to return to U.A. now.”

“I had a feeling you were going to say that.” Takato sighed. He couldn’t blame Aizawa for that decision, given everything that had happened. It had been a long and exhausting day, and Tsukauchi had already instructed him to return to U.A. as soon as possible.

Takato had wanted to salvage the last of his cards, but that was an effort in vain.

After sharing his coordinates with Aizawa, Takato, and Gigimon settled down to wait, the Digimon falling asleep now that he was sure there was no more danger.

“It’s been quite the exciting day, hasn’t it?” Ingenious asked, sitting next to him.

“I guess you can say that,” Takato shrugged. He’d gone through worse situations, but it wouldn’t be wise to broadcast that fact. “It was pretty cool how you managed to get everyone out of danger so smoothly.”

“I’m only sorry we failed to get you and your aunt off in time,” Ingenium replied.

“Don’t sweat it. Everything worked out in the end,” Takato said. “I’m surprised you’re talking to me. Your fans look eager for your attention.”

“You mean you aren’t a fan?” Ingenium asked cheekily before waving away Takato’s flustered apologies. “Relax, I’m teasing you. After I saw what you and Guilmon are capable of, it made me realize something. You could have stopped the bus alone, couldn’t you?”

Takato stared at the hero, not expecting him to bring that up. He weighed whether or not to play dumb, but there was something in the man’s eyes that made the Tamer want to trust him.

“You mean aside from not being a hero yet? Yeah, I probably could,” he admitted. “But not without collateral damage. At least as we are now. Maybe one day that will change.”

“I’m sure it will,” Ingenium agreed. “I see a lot of potential in you. You’ll make a great hero one day.”

Takato couldn’t help but stare.

“How can you be so sure? You barely know me.”

“You could have saved yourself at any moment, but you didn’t. Not when your guardian was still in danger. You were more worried about her than yourself. If that’s not a mark of a hero, I don’t know what is.”

“She would have done the same for me,” Takato countered.

“But it takes a lot of courage to ask someone to save someone else when you’re still in danger,” Ingenium said, stopping Takato’s protests. “I wish you luck on your path to becoming a hero. Maybe you and my little brother will end up in the same class one day.”

“Maybe,” Takato murmured, distracted as his phone went off, alerting him that Aizawa had arrived. “I’ve got to go now, but it was nice talking with you. Thanks again for the rescue… even if it didn’t go entirely the way you planned.”

“No problem, kid,” Ingenum replied, ruffling his hair before leaving him.

“He’s such a big brother,” Takato said as he straightened his hair back out. He felt a warmth deep inside. Ingenium’s little brother was lucky. The Tamer could tell how much the hero adored him.

Takato didn’t jump as Aizawa took hold of his shoulder and guided him away from the slowly dispersing crowd.

“Are you okay?” Takato asked the hero, catching a whiff of Aizawa’s blood. Despite the tears in the hero’s uniform, the Tamer couldn’t identify any wounds.

“I’m a lot better than you are,” Aizawa retorted, nodding to Takato’s scrapes and bruises. “You look like crap. You didn’t let the paramedics check you out, did you?”

“I heal fast as it is. Thee’s no need for them to waste their time on me when others could use their help,” Takato replied nonchalantly.

“Something tells me that you’re likely the person with the most injuries out of all the victims,” Aizawa said dryly.

Takato couldn’t argue since the underground her was right on the nose.

“I have someone I’d like you to meet,” Aizawa said once he led Takato into a nearby alleyway.

Before Takato could ask anything, he felt air displacement nearby, and instinct took over as he tossed a startled Gigimon to Aizawa.

Knocking what he perceived as a weapon aside, Takato slammed the newcomer into the nearest wall by the throat, using his other hand to pin the closest arm.

“Who are you?” He snarled as he shifted into his clawed and scaled form.

Wizardmon gasped for breath, gawking at Takato.

“What… happened… to you?” The Digimon rasped as he struggled to breathe.

Aizawa sighed, hefting Gigimon onto his shoulder as he crossed his arms.

“I told you it wouldn’t be a good idea to surprise him. Let him go, Takato. He’s not an enemy.”

“How are you so sure?” Takato asked, not releasing his hold.

“Because he’s Impmon,” Gigimon said, causing Takato to falter. “I’d know that scent anywhere.”

Takato’s grip slackened as his adrenaline finally subsided, and he recognized the green eyes staring back at him.

“I-Impmon?” He repeated as if he couldn’t process who stood before him. His scales, claws, and fangs slowly disappeared. Takato stumbled back, gaping. “Is that you?”

“It’s me,” Wizardmon affirmed, voice thick with emotion as he flashed his treasured D-Arc as further proof. “I just digivolved, that’s all.”

“W-why? How?” Takato had no idea what question he wanted to ask first. As much as he had dreamed of seeing his friends again, he never believed it would happen. “Are the others here?”

“No.” Wizardmon looked down, hat hiding his expression. “I- I know I’m not the one you were hoping for, but I’m here, right?”

Takato stared at his old friend, catching onto his insecurity and barely restrained grief. There was a story behind it, and Takato wanted nothing more than to hear it, but this was neither the time nor place.

Instead, Takato went with his gut and hugged the surprised Digimon.

“You’re more than enough. Don’t ever think otherwise.”

Wizardmon trembled as if he didn’t know what to do before returning the embrace. Once he did, it was like a dam burst, and they cried as months of built-up stress and loneliness  left their hearts and minds.

“I wanna join!” Gigimon exclaimed, digivolving and barreling into both of them. They went flying onto the ground.

Soft cries turned into laughter as Guilmon’s clumsiness cleared the tension.

“I hate to interrupt the reunion, but we should probably go before we attract any attention,” Aizawa said from where he stood guard.

“Right,” Takato agreed, getting up and wiping his tears away. He helped both Guilmon and Wizardmon back to their feet. “Can Impmon — I mean, Wizardmon — come along?”

“I already cleared it with Principal Nedzu,” Aizawa confirmed.

“Yay!” Guilmon cheered before getting hushed by his Tamer.

“Where are we going?” Wizardmon asked, glancing at Aizawa. “You never said.”

“I had to make sure you were who you claimed to be,” Aizawa replied.

“Paranoid much? I thought I already proved myself,” Wizardmon quipped.

“When it comes to this troublemaker,” Aizawa began, nodding at Takato. “You can never be too sure.”

“You may be right,” Wizardmon agreed after a moment’s consideration, ignoring Takato’s offended protests.

“That’s rich, coming from you,” Takato groused. “You’re the definition of ‘troublemaker.’”

“Maybe, but even I don’t end up in as many dicey situations as you,” Wizardmon countered.

“…Shut up.”

“If you children are done,” Aizawa said with infinite patience. “We’re heading back to U.A.”

“What’s U.A.?” Wizardmon asked, confused.

“It’s a hero school,” Guilmon exclaimed. “It’s cool. Just wait until you see it.”

“‘Cool’ and ‘school’ don’t belong in the same sentence,” Wizardmon said, crossing his arms. “But I guess I’ll see for myself. Magical Game .”

Takato and Guilmon watched in fascination as Wizardmon disappeared, presence and all.

“Wow. Is that how you hid yourself before?”

“Yup.”

“I can think of so many uses…” Takato said, ideas already churning in his mind as they headed toward the subway station.

“This is going to be a long trip,” Aizawa groaned.

Chapter Text

While Aizawa had planned to bring Takato, Guilmon, and Wizardmon to U.A. via subway, Detective Tsukauchi had other plans.

He met them with a police van, intending to bring them back himself. People all around stopped and stared, making the Tamer feel self-conscious with all the attention coming their way. 

“Isn’t this overkill?” Takato asked as he climbed in with everyone else, glad to escape the blistering heat outside. The air conditioning was more than welcome.

“I don’t consider anything to do with your safety as overkill,” Tsukauchi responded from the driver seat, eyeing Wizardmon with wariness and curiosity, who regarded him similarly.

“I knew you were going to say that,” Takato said, glad that he had Wizardmon heal him before the detective had arrived. He was sure Tsukauchi would have freaked out if he’d seen all the bruises and cuts. His torn clothing was bad enough. 

“Who’s this guy?” Wizardmon asked. “He reminds me of your dad.”

“I thought the same thing when I first met him,” Takato admitted, earning a surprised look from Tsukauchi.

“You never told me that before.”

“You never asked,” Takato responded cheekily before returning to Wizardmon. “Meet Detective Tsukauchi. He’s my legal guardian and the first person I told about Digimon.”

“Why?” Wizardmon asked. He remembered how secretive the Tamers were about Digimon in the early days. 

“I woke up alone in an unfamiliar world. I needed allies,” Takato replied.

“Where was Guilmon?” Wizardmon asked. He couldn’t imagine Guilmon ever leaving his partner alone if he had a choice.

“That’s an entirely different story,” Takato admitted, knowing they would fall down an entirely different rabbit hole if they discussed that right now.

“We’ll get back to it later,” Wizardmon agreed, taking the hint. “What made you so sure the detective could be trusted? The police weren’t exactly our friends back home.”

After everything Wizardmon had witnessed with the RDSF and what he experienced himself, the Digimon didn’t trust adult humans much. Eraser Head proved himself through his actions. Detective Tsukauchi had yet to show himself as trustworthy.

“It’s hard to explain,” Takato said, scratching his cheek as he considered where to begin.

“How so?” Wizardmon asked, impatient. Why was it so hard to get a straight answer? He had a lot of questions, and he had made little headway.

“I’m sure you’ve noticed by now that this world is different than ours,” Takato said.

“No kidding.” Wizardmon had been surprised when he saw humans with animal heads, plants growing out of them, and metallic skin walking around as if it were completely normal. The Human World that Wizardmon knew of was vastly different. He wouldn’t have blinked an eye if he witnessed this in the Digital World. He would have reacted much more if he hadn’t been forced to keep hidden.

“The majority of humans in this world have evolved and developed what they call ‘quirks,’” Eraser Head chose to assist the Tamer as he proceeded to give Wizardmon a quick rundown of this world’s superhuman society and all that it entailed.

“Did anyone ever tell you that you make a good teacher?” Takato asked Eraser Head, who glared.

“I don’t need to hear that from you, too,” the underground hero said.

“So somebody has told you. Maybe you should talk with Principal Nedzu about a job,” Takato said, enjoying the chance to tease the man who had become his favorite hero so far.

“Shut up before I make you,” Eraser Head griped, making the Tamer snicker.

“So that’s why you told me Eraser Head was your Hero name,” Wizardmon realized, remembering the strange introduction. “What does this have to do with trusting the detective, Takato?”

“My quirk essentially turns me into a human lie detector,” Tsukauchi explained.

“When I learned about his quirk, I figured that he would be the most likely person to believe me. It was a gamble, but one that worked out,” Takato said, smiling at his guardian.

“If you trust him, so will I,” Wizardmon said, observing how Takato and Tsukauchi interacted.

“This… this isn’t a school,” Impmon, who had returned to his Rookie form en route, gaped at the towering U-shaped structure. The building looked nothing like the schools Impmon had seen elsewhere.

“I told you it was cool.” Gigimon chirped as they entered the open gates.

“Where are we going?” Takato asked Tsukauchi.

“The Infirmary,” Tsukauchi said, giving Takato a look as if to say that the Tamer should have expected it.

“But Wizardmon already healed me!” Takato protested, eager to continue his conversation with Impmon. There was so much he wanted to know.

“I’d still like Recovery Girl to look you over,” Tsukauchi said. “Also, Principal Nedzu would like to run a few tests too.”

“What kind of tests?” Impmon asked as they entered the Infirmary, eyes filled with distrust. He had fended off countless unsavory characters who wanted to perform unethical and inhumane tests on the Tamers. He wasn’t about to let anyone take advantage of Takato here, where he had few allies.

“Do not fear. We have no intention of harming any of you.”

Impmon turned his attention to the bear/rat-like creature standing alongside a diminutive human female.

“Who are you?” he asked, stepping in front of Takato protectively.

“I am Nedzu, the principal of this hero school,” the chimera replied. “This is Recovery Girl, the school nurse.”

“You can trust them, Impmon. They’ve helped me a lot since I first came here,” Takato said, walking towards the bed that Recovery Girl directed him to. Aizawa reluctantly joined him at the bed beside him at the nurse’s assistance. Her keen eyes hadn’t missed the dried blood on his dark clothing.

Takato obediently removed his shirt at the nurse’s request, faltering only when Impmon voiced his shock at the revealed scars. 

“What the hell happened to you?” 

Takato turned to face Impmon quickly, hiding his back. While that exposed the faded scars on his shoulder and abdomen and the Hazard symbol emblazoned on his chest, none of those horrified Impmon as much as the sight of the jagged scars covering most of Takato’s back. 

Impmon waited for Takato to respond, but the boy only trembled with glazed-over eyes. Gigimon nuzzled against his partner until the Tamer finally reacted and hugged him close.

“Are… are you okay?” Impmon asked, uncharacteristically gentle. The expression in Takato’s eyes had been hauntingly reminiscent of Jeri’s when she was within the D-Reaper’s kernel. The Digimon didn’t want to see it again. 

“Yea–no, I’m not,” Takato grudgingly admitted after receiving a pointed look from Tsukauchi for the initial lie. “But I will be, I promise.”

Impmon wanted to pry further but realized now wouldn’t be the best time. He stayed silent while Recovery Girl looked Takato and Aizawa over.

“Whoever healed you did a good job,” she complimented. “Wizardmon, was it?”

“That would be me.” Impmon raised his hand. “Or rather, a higher evolution of mine.”

“You have quite the talent,” Recovery Girl said. “You could do well as a healer. Let me know if you would be interested in interning under me. I would be happy to have you.”

“T-thanks,” Impmon replied. He wasn’t used to people welcoming him so quickly. That wasn’t the norm in the other world. It was nice to be regarded for something more than his killing ability.

“Speaking of Wizardmon,” Takato began after Recovery Girl finished examining both him and Eraser Head and left. “That wasn’t the Champion form I expected  you to have.”

“Trust me, I didn’t expect it either,” Impmon replied. “I always expected I would digivolve into another Virus type. I think it has to do with how I digivolved in the first place.”

“You mentioned that you only digivolved today,” Eraser Head recalled. “Which leads me to what I’ve wanted to ask this entire time. How did you come to our world in the first place?”

“We have a lot to discuss,” Impmon agreed before glancing around. “But I would prefer to talk about that somewhere more… private.”

“That would be a wise decision,” Nedzu agreed. “Allow me to complete a few scans on Takato and Gigimon, and then we can head to my office.”

“What kind of scans?” Impmon asked. “You never explained that earlier.”

“My apologies. We got sidetracked,” Nedzu replied. “I wish to understand the degree to which Takato has digitized. I’ve been tracking it since we discovered he is no longer made of flesh and blood like other humans.”

“Takato and a few of the other Tamers have had data in their blood since the D-Reaper,” Impmon said. “Why do you have to keep track?”

“It’s because there was a glitch when Guilmon and I entered this world. Our bond has mutated, for lack of a better word,” Takato said.

“Is that why you transformed?” Impmon asked. He had been surprised to see Takato shift into his hybrid state. He had been even more startled to know that the boy could overpower a Champion-level Digimon in that state.

“Yeah. It’s also why Guilmon wasn’t with me initially. At least not physically,” Takato said. “I’ll fill you in on everything that’s happened on my end later.”

“As long as you don’t forget,” Impmon replied before Nedzu started his tests.

The group settled within Nedzu’s office sometime later, and Takato filled Impmon in on everything that had happened since he and Guilmon got pulled into the Digital World. Once he finished, attention fell onto Impmon.

“Where are Ai and Mako?” Takato asked. While he was grateful for Impmon’s presence, he never imagined that the Digimon would have left his Tamers behind to search for him and Guilmon.

“You have two Tamers?” Tsukauchi asked. “I didn’t know that was possible.”

“I had two Tamers,” Impmon corrected, voice thick with grief. “Twins. They were best friends, but…” 

“When we spoke earlier, you said your Tamers were gone ,” Eraser Head recalled.

“Don’t tell me they’re dead,” Takato said, horror clear in his voice.

“No!” Impmon shook his head vigorously as if unable to stomach the thought. “They’re alive… or at least were the last time I saw them.”

“Then why aren’t you with them?” Takato asked, keeping his voice gentle. He didn’t want Impmon to think he was accusing him of anything.

“You already knew that there was a lot of anti-Digimon fanatics out there,” Impmon told Takato. “They got a lot worse after the Parasimon Invasion. Ai and Mako’s parents didn’t want anything to do with Digimon anymore, not that they did in the first place. They only tolerated me because I made Ai and Mako happy. Losing you two, however, was the final straw. They didn’t want to lose their children like your parents, so they refused to let me return.”

Takato could only gape in horror at Impmon as he processed what the Digimon said.

“That… that’s not fair,” he said. He could only imagine how Impmon, Ai, and Mako felt about their forcible separation. He knew he would be devastated if his parents forbade him from seeing Guilmon. He wouldn’t have obeyed that order, but Ai and Mako were younger and more dependent on their parents. They wouldn’t be able to defy their parents as easily. 

Guilt was the next emotion that plagued Takato as he felt responsible for Impmon’s situation. If he and Guilmon hadn’t disappeared, Ai and Mako’s parents would have never separated them.

“It’s not your fault,” Impmon said, recognizing the look on Takato’s face. “It would likely have happened anyway, whether you were there or not. Ai and Mako’s parents were looking for a reason to keep me away.”

“You are not responsible for the actions of others, Takato,” Nedzu agreed, helping the Tamer release some of the emotional pressure that had built up within him.

“You mentioned my parents… How are they?” Takato asked. He felt terrible about asking about them when addressing the loss of Impmon’s Tamers, but this was the first time he had heard of them in too long. He needed to know that they were okay.

“I left to find you only a month or so after you disappeared,” Impmon admitted. “But the last I heard, your parents were okay but planning to move to Okinawa to be with the rest of their family. They took losing you pretty hard.”

It saddened Takato to hear how poorly his parents took his departure, but at least they were okay and not alone. That’s all he could ask for. 

“You came to the Digital World alone? None of the other Tamers joined you?” Eraser Head asked.

“The government was against the rescue mission. They threatened the Tamers and their families with imprisonment if they tried,” Takato said, catching Impmon by surprise.

“How did you know about that?”

“Shibumi managed to reach out to me when I arrived at Zuqaiomon’s lair,” Takato explained. “Don’t ask me how. He never told me. But he did tell me why they couldn’t launch a rescue mission for me. He also said that the government intended to install a Firewall that would completely block our worlds, making it impossible for us to return home. Shibumi advised that the other Tamers were willing to defy the government and still try to rescue me, but I asked him to tell them to stand down.”

“You never said anything about choosing to stay in the Digital World,” Tsukauchi said, appalled at the decision Takato had been forced to make.

“It wasn’t much of a choice. Either I stayed, or all my friends and loved ones would suffer from their efforts to bring me home. I didn’t want that,” Takato replied.

“You always were a self-sacrificing idiot,” Impmon said, shaking his head. “In the end, it may be better for you not to be there.”

Takato frowned in confusion, not expecting Impmon to say that. 

“Why would you say that?”

“My Tamers’ parents rejecting me isn’t the only bad outcome of the Parasimon Invasion,” Impmon said. “Hypnos lost their power, and the government took advantage. They formed the Rogue Digimon Strike Force to replace the Tamers in fighting against the Wild Ones.”

“I thought you said the military couldn’t fight the Digimon.” Eraser Head frowned at Takato, who looked just as confused.

“They couldn’t. Not before I left, anyways.”

“I don’t know how, but the military got hold of weapons that work against the Digimon,” Impmon replied.

“That’s a good thing, isn’t it?” Tsukauchi said. “That would take the pressure off the Tamers to fight against the hostile Digimon.”

“It wouldn’t be bad,” Impmon agreed, eyes narrowing. “If the RDSF didn’t choose to destroy all Digimon indiscriminately, no matter if they were hostile or not.”

Takato and Gigimon went stock-still.

“... What ?”

Everyone in the room shivered as the imposing aura of a Royal Knight filled the room.

Impmon’s mouth opened and closed as he had never witnessed his two friends act in such a manner before. He almost considered their attitude more intimidating than when Takato had lost his temper and transformed Guilmon into Megidramon. Now, he wasn’t so sure about telling Takato about the RDSF. He didn’t want to have a rematch with the Hazard Digimon again. 

Still, Takato and Gigimon had a right to know, so Impmon shared all the atrocities the RDSF had been responsible for. 

“Nakajima spoke a lot of hating Digimon, but Ryo seemed to think he had other plans besides destroying Digimon. I don’t know what those are, though.”

Red lightning sparked around Takato as Impmon spoke of the unpleasant encounter the Tamers had with Nakajima Eiji, the leader of the RDSF. 

Takato was furious about what his friends endured while he was gone. He knew he would have likely been unable to change anything if he had been there back then, but now, his priorities were different. 

Gallantmon was a Royal Knight responsible for protecting the Digital World. His job was to eliminate any threat to the Digital World, even if that threat came from humans.

“Takato, you need to calm down,” Tsukauchi said, voice tinted with alarm as the lights began to flicker and every digital device in the room started to go on the fritz.

The detective’s voice broke through the ringing in Takato’s ears, and he became conscious enough to realize he was losing control.

“Cover your noses,” Takato instructed everyone as he took out a capsule and broke it in front of his face. Midnight’s pheromones seeped out, calming Takato and the newly digivolved Guilmon.

Slowly, the red lightning faded from around Takato, and the lights and digital devices returned to normal.

“I’m glad to see the capsules work,” Nedzu said once things had settled down.

“What are those?” Impmon asked. He had managed to catch a whiff of the scent. He had felt relatively docile for a short moment until the effect wore off.

“A hero under my employ possesses a quirk allowing her to calm even the most hostile of foes,” Nedzu explained. “While it is a human response to get angry at what we consider unjust, we are all aware of the consequences of Takato’s anger. Therefore, I managed to construct a way to contain enough of Midnight’s pheromones to assist Takato should his temper best him.”

“They know about the Hazard?” Impmon asked, surprised that Takato would divulge such a dangerous secret.

“They had a right to know,” Takato replied airily, still under the influence of the pheromones. “Especially since that’s what Daemon is after.”

Impmon swore.

“So that’s why the Demon Lords attacked…”

Everybody stiffened, and all eyes fell on Impmon once again.

“You’re going to have to expand on what you just said,” Tsukauchi said.

“The Royal Knights left me a message earlier,” Nedzu said instead, turning his computer monitor around so that everyone could see the first message that the Royal Knights had sent him and his translation underneath the original message.

DEMON LORDS. WIDE SCALE ATTACK. DIVERSION. BARRIER BREACHED.

“It’s just a theory, but I suspect that Daemon has been in contact with his brethren, just as we have been in touch with the Royal Knights. While you all returned here, I delved deeper and realized that the Digital Field we detected was only one of many. Unfortunately, the other Fields dispersed quickly, and I could not track the bio-emerged Digimon. They are in the wind. Daemon likely did this to gain more allies or data to help regain his strength.”

Eraser Head swore.

“Does that mean we have even more Digimon to deal with now? Why couldn’t we detect them?”

“I believe we could detect the Digital Field that we did because it contained two Champion-level Digimon. The other fields likely contained much weaker Digimon,” Nedzu theorized.

“You’re not wrong,” Impmon agreed. “But don’t think the other Digimon are weak. Many reverted to weaker forms to get through the breached barrier.”

“We have to find them!” Takato exclaimed, the effect of Midnight’s pheromones wearing off. 

“You won’t be able to do anything,” Tsukauchi reminded him. “Vigilantism is illegal, remember?”

Knowing there were fully functional vigilantes, Takato wanted to argue, but Impmon spoke instead.

“I’ll hunt them down.”

Tsukauchi opened his mouth, likely to point out that Impmon couldn’t act as a vigilante either, but Nedzu interrupted him.

“Now that’s not a bad idea. You are unknown and aren’t considered a part of Takato’s quirk like Guilmon. If we play our cards right, we could turn you into a fully functioning hero faster than we can Takato and allow you to handle the digital threat more discretely.”

“How do you expect to do that?” Takato asked. “And why couldn’t we do the same for me?”

“Attending a hero school is not the only way one can become a hero,” Nedzu said. “The new hero, Hawks, is an example of that. If we establish Impmon as an aspiring hero interning under Eraser Head, we can get him tested and licensed sooner rather than later. We, unfortunately, cannot do that with you, Takato, as your age is already known. Even if we chose this path for you, your age would prevent you from becoming a hero faster than attending a hero school. Nobody knows Impmon’s age. We can pass him off as older if we establish one of his higher evolutions as the hero-to-be.”

“You want him to act as my intern?” Eraser Head asked. “I would need a teaching license for that to work.”

“I do not believe that to be difficult for you. I’ve already started the process for you,” Nedzu said.

“...Why?”

“I believed it would only be a matter of time before we managed to convince you to join my faculty,” the chimera said, chuckling wickedly as Eraser Head groaned.

“I don’t know what you’re talkin’ about, but if that means I can still kick ass, I’m in.”

“You put a lot of thought into this,” Tsukauchi mused.

“I’ve been thinking about this since I received the Royal Knights’ second message,” Nedzu explained as he revealed the second message that indicated help was on the way.

“I hate to break it to you,” Impmon said, looking conflicted at the message. “But I don’t think they meant me in the message.”

“Oh? Do you know who they meant with that message?” Nedzu asked.

“My guess is they meant Dynasmon,” Impmon said. “I was there when they went to fight the other Demon Lords. I helped them, but when they realized it was a diversion to go after the weak spot in the barrier, they sent Dynasmon to stop it. I went with him.”

“Dynasmon willingly worked with you? Most Royal Knights won’t even consider working with a Demon Lord,” Takato said. 

“We are natural enemies,” Impmon agreed. “But they knew I was your friend, and the situation didn’t give time for them to be picky about their allies.”

“How did you get mixed into a battle between the Royal Knights and Demon Lords?” Tsukauchi asked.

“It took me forever to realize that you were with the Royal Knights and even longer to get in contact with one of them. Ironically, it was Dynasmon I first encountered. He wouldn’t give me the time of day other than to tell me that you and Guilmon were no longer in the Digital World.”

“Yeah, Dynasmon isn’t the friendliest,” Takato admitted. “He gave us a hard time in the beginning too. But he’s not a bad guy overall.”

“He was a pretty good guy once you got past all of that prickliness,” Impmon agreed, eyes glazed over as he remembered something.

Takato stiffened as he caught onto a particular word.

“ Was? ” he repeated, dread building in his chest. “What do you mean by that?”

Impmon shot a look full of remorse towards Takato before speaking again.

“The Demon Lords didn’t make it easy for us to get to the barrier. Dynasmon took a fatal hit in the battle,” Impmon admitted, swallowing against a dry throat. “He… he took a hit meant for me.”

“Dynasmon’s dead?” Guilmon asked, ears drooping while Takato sat there, stunned.

Allowing Takato the time to process Impmon’s words, Eraser Head asked the following question.

“If Royal Knights and Demon Lords are mortal enemies, why would he take the hit for you?”

“I don't know,” Impmon admitted. “Maybe I proved myself to him somehow. I don’t know. His last requests were for me to take his data so the other Demon Lords couldn't have it and for me to help you.”

“You absorbed his data?” Takato asked in shock.

“Not because I wanted to,” Impmom hurriedly said, worried that Takato would think he had taken advantage of the harsh situation. “Dynasmon said he didn't want his legacy to be lost and that he would live on through me. I digivolved into Wizardmon right after I finished absorbing his data.”

“He’s telling the truth,” Tsukauchi confirmed, allaying any lingering suspicions within the group. 

“After digivolving, I used my illusions to escape the other Demon Lords and raced through the barrier alongside the other Digimon that made it through. I knew I couldn't close it myself, but I would do my best to help from the other side.”

“I had a feeling the barrier wouldn't hold forever,” Takato sighed. “No matter whatever Hypnos tried in the past to keep the worlds separate, Digimon always found a way back.”

“It may be time to reveal the truth about Digimon,” Tsukauchi fretted.

“No. Impmon’s news of the political climate in their world is enough proof for me to know that our world would handle the situation even worse than they had. Daemon has been noted as a villain that remains at large. Any Digimon attack could be associated with him, and the Digimon passed off as manifestations of Daemon’s quirk or the byproduct of Takato’s while he was ‘captured’ by Daemon before he arrived in our world,” Nedzu said. 

“The Commission will come after Takato if you try to pass the Digimon off as his creations. It doesn't matter if he made them ‘under duress.’” Eraser Hand countered. “Also, I don't like the thought of Takto being forced to take credit for something like this, no matter the circumstances.”

“Neither do I,” Tsukauchi agreed.

“Very well. Daemon it is,” Nedzu conceded.

Impmon looked at all of the adults in surprise, seeing how they so quickly resolved the problem they faced. Maybe not all adults were terrible after all.