The Wrath of Saberleomon

"Keenan, I'm leaving your lunch here, okay?" Miki informed the child, placing the food tray outside his room. "It's really extra super delicious. And it should be, I mean I made it with my own two hands."
At Pawnchessmon's look, she corrected, "Well okay, I brought it from a convenient store with my own two hands."
"You have to eat something, kid. Please?" She sighed, looking at the previous untouched food tray.
"She's right." Falcomon agreed on the other side of the door. "I don't know about you, but I'm starving."
"Well, go on then." Keenan muttered. "You eat something Falcomon. Me no hungry."
----In the command center…
"I'm completely astounded. It really is a Digi-Gate." Kudamon remarked, as the group viewed the Digital Gate from before on the screen.
Sampson nodded in agreement.
"Even we don't have the technology to open a Digi-Gate outside the lab." Gaomon noted.
"So who does?" Yoshi asked.
"Well, nobody we're currently aware of." Thomas replied. "To instantly open a Digital Gate in the wild like that takes some amazing ability. Who could have done it?"
"What I'm more worried about is the complications this could cause." Angel voiced. "If someone could open a Digital Gate with such ease, imagine what it could do to the space-time continuum."
"Does it matter?" Marcus scoffed.
"We won either way." Agumon nodded.
Angel glared at the two, "If such a thing happened often enough, both space and time could be so screwed over that Earth might very well fold into a black hole, taking everything we know that exists with it! Never mind the Human World, even the Digital World and the entire Solar System might get sucked into that black hole!"
"But, it's just a theory, right?" Thomas asked.
"Do you want to test out that theory?" Ami shot back.
"Point." Thomas nodded as Marcus and Yoshi looked at each other.
"You know what they're talking about?" Yoshi asked the teen on the chair.
"No clue." Marcus shrugged.
"Oi brat, we have work to do." Demon snorted.
Angel muttered something under her breath and followed her boyfriend out.
Ami grinned once her older surrogate siblings exited, "Ladies and gentlemen, welcome to my family life."
Chuckling at Thomas, she added, "You know, it's nice to have someone else, other than me, Angel-nee can talk to about this kind of thing."
She paused, "At least not without their eyes glazing over."
"Your brothers?" Thomas guessed.
Ami smiled, but did not confirm or deny that statement.
Then Marcus blinked when Miki entered.
"Miki, how's Keenan doing?" he asked.
"He's sad and he's still refusing to eat any food we put in front of him." She shrugged.
"Poor kid." Marcus remarked.
"I'll say." Agumon agreed.
"Wow, so many problems." Kurata remarked.
"Who are you?" Marcus asked.
"Who me?" Kurata smiled. "Oh, no one."
"It's really a pleasure, Agumon." He greeted the dinosaur, sneezing in the process. "I mean, wow, the first specimen born inside DATS HQ and now you can digivolve to Ultimate level. Just amazing. I heard you love fried eggs."
"Oh sorry." He apologized upon sneezing again.
"How did you know all this stuff about me?" Agumon asked.
"Oh, I guess I'm a Digimon nerd." Kurata replied, sneezing again.
"It can't be." Sampson gasped in recognition. "It is you, Kurata."
"Sampson, it's been ages." Kurata turned to Sampson. "We still talk about all the crazy stunts you pulled."
"Wait, you guys know each other?" Marcus blinked.
"Do they ever. It's Kurata you have to thank for your recent victory." Hashima interjected.
"Director." Sampson noted.
"Great, who invited him?" Ami muttered.
"Afterall, Kurata's the one who opened the Digi-Gate." Hashima added.
"Well, I was really just lucky it opened at all, and I can't really take credit for luck." Kurata remarked.
"Oh, and you must be our new recruit, Marcus Damon." Hashima looked at the newest member. "Kurata told me that you joined. You may not know this, but Kurata was your father's assistant and he was also part of the original expedition that first went to the Digital World."
"You've gotten so big, Marcus." Kurata beamed. "You're almost all grown-up now. I'll have to restrict myself from pinching your cheeks."
"Thank you for your help, Kurata. We may not have succeeded without you." Kudamon remarked. "But I'm assuming you're here because you want something."
"That's so like you, Kudamon." Kurata told the Digimon. "You just right to the point as always. Yes, I am here for something. For Falcomon and Keenan. That boy is such an interesting specimen, having been raised in the Digital World. I love to have the opportunity to study him."
"What?" Marcus gasped.
"Well, our original plan was for DATS to look after him anyway." Hashima noted. "I approve."
"Hey, hold on!" Marcus protested. "This is a human being you're talking about!"
Just then, Megumi gasped as she saw Keenan out of his room and Falcomon trying to hold Keenan back, "Commander, something's going on with Keenan!"
"Nice!" Marcus noted.
"Wait Keenan!" Falcomon pulled him back.
"No! Let go!" Keenan retorted.
"Hey, you think you're going somewhere, Keenan?" Marcus asked as he ran out.
"Me not belong here!" Keenan shouted. "Better if me go home!"
"Well that's not true!" Marcus scolded. "Besides, you don't even have a home to go to."
"Marcus…" Yoshi rebuked.
"But starting now, you do." Marcus added. "You're going come stay at my house with me. Form now on, I'll take care of you, Keenan."
"You hear that?" he hollered to the screen. "You got anything to say?"
----"Well Director?" Kudamon asked.
"You must be kidding me." Hashima retorted.
"I like it." Sampson remarked. "Taking care of Keenan is one of our responsibilities and it's up to us how we handle it.
Hashima growled.
"Well, he does have a point." Kurata noted. "This is their jurisdiction afterall. Shall we go, Director?"
----"That's what I'm talking about." Marcus remarked confidently.
"You never thought about that." Thomas pointed out.
"Keenan…" Falcomon muttered.
----"See you soon." Kurata smiled as he exited with Hashima.
"I'll bet." Kudamon mumbled.
----Ami stifled a giggle as Marcus pulled Keenan and Falcomon off.
"What?" Thomas asked as he and Yoshi looked at her.
"I was about to ask Angel-nee if we have room for two more, but I guess Marcus beat me to it. That's just one thing I never saw coming; him adopting a little brother." Ami noted, her giggles finally escaping from her mouth. Yoshi grinned in agreement as she entered the Command Center, leaving the two geniuses alone.
"And speaking of adopted families," Ami added, looking at the blond. "I do believe you have a ton of questions about mine."
"I was wondering when you'll tell me." Thomas replied. Snagging an arm around her waist, the two headed off to talk.
----On the indoor balcony…
"Okay, shoot." Ami said.
"When and how?" Thomas fired.
"About half a year after you left, dad and mom finalized their divorce." Ami replied.
"I'm sorry to hear that." Thomas muttered.
"And since mom's still an underpaid medical intern, she was unable to take care of me. I was transferred from relative to relative until Oji-sama, unable to see me parceled around like a homeless puppy, took me in." Ami added. "After he died when I was eight, Angel-nee took me in. She and Demon-nii-chan trained me for two years until they decided I was good enough before they initiated me into DATS. I got introduced and inducted to the rest of the family two years later."
"What do those guys do for a living," Thomas asked his next question. "Other than being employed by DATS?"
"Well," Ami paused for a while as she thought. "Duncan-nii-san owns The Underground, the pub we usually hang out in. He's also a gang leader. He takes care of all the transactions that pass through the gang's part of the underworld."
The pub and gang leader thing had Thomas' brows shooting up, but he did not interrupt her.
"Dare-nii is a banker, but he also acts as a stock broker at times. Duke-nii, as you've already found out, is an electronics expert specializing in computers, but he's also good at tinkering with other electronic gadgets." Ami smiled. She was pretty surprised herself when she had found out what those two jokers do for a living.
"And then there's Demon-nii and Angel-nee." She grinned. "I think the Commander knows what he's doing when he appointed them both as DATS' Heads of Security."
"Oh damn then." Thomas returned her grin knowingly, as Ami laughed.
Pinching his nose, she inquired with an impish tone that was completely lost to the blond, "Now, do you have any more questions? If not, then I suppose we proceed to the next matter at hand."
She almost laughed at the confused expression on Thomas' face when she turned around to face him.
"So," she nuzzled the side of his neck, "do you want to play?" she asked seductively.
It took only a second for Thomas to recover. This was an opportunity he was not going to let pass. If she was in a playful mood, he would willingly play with her. His hands slipped around her waist, pulling her up for a passionate, lip-locking kiss. He tugged her closer until her body was flashed against his. He heard and felt Ami moan in the back of her throat as their tongues glided and dueled with each other. He definitely liked this not-so-innocent side of hers.
They made out for a few minutes against the railing before Ami pulled away.
"I think that should do for now. But maybe next time," she playfully kiss the tip of his nose then smoothly extracted herself from him, "I'll let you fulfill that fantasy of yours, and let you tie me up in bed. Just as long as you'll also have your turn being tied up," she beamed at him and quickly bolted back into the Command room before he could even try to grab her.
Thomas almost smirked. The playful and childish Ami he fell in love with was still there alright. He really was not too bothered with her having read his mind that easily. He knew she would respect his privacy when he needed it. But having a mature and sexy Ami telling him that she would allow him to fulfill his wildest sexual fantasies on her was just kinky as hell.
----"I'm home!" Marcus called out upon arriving back.
"Hi Marcus." Kristy greeted her brother.
"Hey, who is he?" she asked, seeing Keenan.
"A new friend of mine." Marcus replied. "His name is Keenan."
"Nice to meet you." Kristy smiled. "Interesting face paint you got there."
"This is my sister, Kristy." Marcus introduced.
"That's me." Kristy beamed.
"Agumon, why are you wearing that box again?" she asked, noticing the cardboard between the two boys.
"No, that's… um…" Marcus stammered.
"Hold on." Kristy cut her brother off and lifted the cardboard. "Let me just get Agumon out of there."
"No Kristy, wait!" Marcus tried to stop his sister. "It's not what you think!"
His warning came too late when Kristy pulled the box up, gasping when she saw Falcomon within the box.
"Hello again." Falcomon sweated, recalling the last time he crossed paths with the girl.
"Hi?" his sweat came in torrents as Kristy growled at him, Marcus looking on in worry.
"Look." Kristy said. "You guys need a bath!"
"Oh stop." She retorted, dragging both Keenan and Falcomon into the bathroom. "You'll be happier once you're not so smelly. Trust me, we'll all be happy."
"And don't you come out until you're squeaky clean!" she added, tossing the two into the bathtub. "I hear that grumbling. Don't you make me come in there!"
"Wow Kristy." Marcus joked as he entered the bathroom. "You're like 'mini-mom'!"
"Make way!" Agumon rushed into the bathroom.
"Well, get in." he told his partner once he dunked himself into the bathtub.
"Where am I supposed to fit?" Marcus asked, noticing the now filled tub.
----"Well, guess I better introduced everyone." Marcus noted at the dining table. "Here's Keenan and Falcomon, his pet."
"His what?" Keenan and Falcomon chorused.
"Yeah, we met." Kristy replied.
"Call me mom." Sarah smiled.
"Mom!" Marcus exclaimed, noticing the spread on the table. "Whatever. Well anyway."
"Thanks for the food!" the extended family chorused.
"Don't get too close or you'll lose an arm." Kristy advised, as Keenan and Falcomon watched in awe as Marcus and Agumon gobbled up dinner. Picking up a piece of pink mochi, both Keenan and Falcomon popped it into their mouths. Sighing in happiness, the two followed Marcus' and Agumon's example.
"Bet I can eat more." Marcus challenged.
"Don't worry Kristy." Sarah assured her daughter. "I made a secret second dinner for us."
----After dinner…
The four boys were in Marcus' room, playing 'Jenga', except with chess pieces.
"I rock!" Agumon whooped, sliding his chosen piece off the table, the tower remaining intact.
"Good move." Marcus deathpanned. "Now, your turn, Keenan."
Keenan nodded and nervously touched a piece, causing the tower to topple and the other three to grin maliciously at him.
"It failed." Agumon taunted.
"That means you lose." Marcus and Falcomon added.
"Penalty: flick on the forehead." Marcus droned, the three approaching the unfortunate boy, fingers ready to inflict damage. "And you can't run away. But you got another one."
"You guys ate my rubber ducky!" Kristy fumed. "What a bunch of doffs."
----"I think it's nice to have so many people in the house." Sarah told her daughter. "It just feels the whole place is really alive."
"Yeah, I guess so." Kristy replied. "At least Marcus isn't fighting as much."
----In Marcus' room…
"Pillow fight!" Marcus shouted, tossing a pillow at Agumon as Keenan and Falcomon laughed.
Agumon retaliated by throwing the pillow at Keenan.
----"He's channeling his energy into more productive pursuits." Sarah added. "Not tonight, necessarily."
----In Marcus' room…
"Me get you for that." Keenan swore.
"You got to catch me first!" Marcus taunted as the four burst out in laughter.
----In the Digital World…
"Saberleomon." Gotsumon trundled back to the golden lion. "Sir."
"Gotsumon." Saberleomon growled.
"I'm so sorry, sir. I was so close. But those pesky humans weaseled out of another one of my plans!" Gotsumon informed Saberleomon.
"Gotsumon, do you remember the worst day ever in the Digital World?" Saberleomon reminded.
"I wish I didn't, but I can never forget." Gotsumon replied.
"That gust of energy from the Human World came and created an enormous typhoon. The humans somehow went through that storm and began to savagely attacking our fellow Digimon." Saberleomon recalled. "What they did was unforgivable."
"I know." Gotsumon replied. "And it makes me so angry."
"As it should. No matter what happens, I will have my revenge!" Saberleomon swore.
"But, you mean we will, right?" Gotsumon corrected.
"Failures like you are of no use to me. Saberleomon replied. "Merukimon may have needed the help of weaklings, but I do not. I am alone will show the humans what Digimon vengeance is!"
----The next day…
"Why me stay up so late?" Keenan muttered as he came down the stairs.
When he looked into the kitchen, Keenan's eyes widened when he saw Sarah preparing breakfast, a vision of Frigimon coming into his mind.
"Frigimon?" he gasped, walking into the kitchen.
"Me got you!" he smiled, hugging the snowman-like Digimon.
"Oh good morning." Sarah smiled. "How are you? I hope you slept well."
Keenan then cried, running off when he saw it was not Frigimon at all.
"Keenan?" Sarah blinked.
"Ow! Man!" Marcus complained as Keenan bumped painfully into him. "Is this how you say good morning?"
"Me leaving!" Keenan replied, pushing Marcus away.
"What?" Marcus exclaimed. "Why?"
"Let go!" Keenan demanded, trying to pull from Marcus' grip on his elbow.
"Keenan, you just can't run off. It's dangerous!" Marcus told him.
"Me no care!" Keenan retorted. "Me leave!"
"Keenan?" Falcomon poked his head from the staircase.
"What's wrong with Keenan?" Kristy asked from the stairs.
"Let go!" Keenan cried as Marcus' communicator peeped.
"Yeah?" Marcus answered.
"A Mega level Digimon?" he blinked.
----In the oil field…
Saberleomon was on a rampage, destroying the oil field.
"It's Saberleomon." Yoshi noted as she drove to the scene. "He's caused major damage. This is the worst."
----Back at headquarters…
"The west sector of town has been blocked off and evacuated." Kudamon informed Marcus. "If we don't stop him, the whole city could be destroyed."
"Roger." Marcus replied. "I'm on it."
"Let go!" Keenan hissed when Marcus stopped him from leaving.
"No way." Marcus told him. "You're not thinking of giving yourself up to those guys again, are you?"
"Keenan!" Falcomon gasped.
"If me go, maybe they stop attacks!" Keenan replied. "All this, all this horrible destruction, my fault."
"Don't be ridiculous." Marcus scolded.
"Me no joking!" Keenan retorted.
"You are when you say stuff like that!" Marcus rebuked. "You just can't believe those garbage those Digimon are saying! Trust me, you didn't do anything wrong. Understand?"
"Yeah." Keenan replied, somewhat uncertainly.
"You can't blame yourself for what other people do." Marcus continued his tirade.
Keenan nodded at Marcus' stern glare.
"Listen." Marcus added as the firefighters were putting out the fire Saberleomon caused ."Normally we can sit down and talk about all this over a nice breakfast, but thanks to that no good Saberleomon, we have to rush out and jump into battle. All that's fine by me! Cos anybody who keeps a guy from his breakfast deserves a heaping helping of justice 'Marcus-style'!"
"Are you going to keep talking all day, Marcus?" Megumi coughed. "Or are you ever going to get a move on?"
"But, Saberleomon no can be defeated." Keenan remarked.
"Well, we'll never know that unless we try. We can't let fear stop you from doing what you need to do." Marcus told him. "Alright, I'm going now."
"In pajamas?" Kristy deathpanned.
"Oh right." Marcus corrected as he stepped back.
"Listen, when you get home, I'll make you that breakfast you missed." Sarah promised.
"Thanks mom." Marcus chuckled.
"Wait, can't I get a to-go bag?" Agumon asked.
"I tell you what." Sarah turned to the dinosaur. "I'll make you whatever you want when you get home."
"Even fried eggs?" Agumon beamed.
"Wait, I want curry!" Marcus interjected.
"Well, looks like I'm making fried egg curry then." Sarah smiled.
"Yay!" both partners whooped.
"What would you like?" Sarah asked Keenan.
"Whatever you make." Falcomon answered for him. "Just make seconds."
"Yeah, sounds good!" Marcus nodded. "Let's go!"
----In the battlefield…
"Lila Shower!' Lilamon fired her attack.
Saberleomon merely growled, the plant Digimon's attack barely fazing him. With a roar, the Mega level Digimon knocked her off the sky.
"Take this!" Machgaogamon landed a punch on Saberleomon, eyes widening when the golden lion caught his fist with his mouth. With a toss, Saberleomon threw the Ultimate level Digimon off. Jumping down, Saberleomon then slashed Machgaogamon with his claws.
"How pathetic you Digimon are." Saberleomon mocked. "I almost feel sorry for you! But still, for your treachery, I will destroy all of you!"
"Not gonna happen!" Marcus announced. "That's right. Because once I'm on the job, nothing can stop me!"
"Yeah, get him Boss!" Agumon agreed.
Jumping off the oil rig he was standing on, Marcus landed a punch on Saberleomon.
"What a joke!" the golden lion mocked. "You even more pathetic than those Digimon."
With a head toss, he threw Marcus aside.
"Boss, let me handle this!" Agumon shouted.
"Right!" Marcus replied. "D.N.A Full Charge!"
"Agumon warp digivolve to RizeGreymon." Agumon announced as he evolved.
"Yet another joke." Saberleomon scoffed.
"Machgaogamon, can you fight?" Thomas asked his partner.
"Try and stop me." Machgaogamon replied.
"Are you okay?" Yoshi asked her partner.
"I'm ready to go." Lilamon answered.
"Then let's shut this guy down!" Marcus remarked.
"Right!" the three Ultimate level Digimon chorused.
"Wait, where's Ami?" Marcus thought to ask, now noticing that the group was missing someone.
"Don't know." Thomas replied. "She was gone when I awoke."
"She spent the night with you?" Yoshi exclaimed.
"Yes." Thomas hid a blush.
"You two didn't do anything you're not supposed to do, did you?" Yoshi pressed.
"Yoshi!" Thomas protested hotly, his flush deepening.
"What? It was just a rhetorical question." Yoshi shrugged.
"She's in Abashiri, Hokkaido." Sampson supplied, sparing Thomas from further embarrassment. "On her 'other job'."
"Dammit!" shouted Yoshi. "Fine time for her to be on assignment!"
"We can do it!" yelled Marcus. "We just have to work together!"
----Meanwhile in Hokkaido…
Ami and the rest of her adopted family were eradicating the Digimon army Saberleomon had sent to keep them away from his main goal.
Ami gritted her teeth as worry ate into her. They had almost made it to the quarry, the one Saberleomon sent to lead the attack, but she was more concerned now for Thomas, and her team.
Dammit! She cursed mentally. She could not concentrate on her assignment. She should be there with them! She placed her hand to her head, thinking that there had to be some way to get there.
Something reflected in her memory, something that Demon and Angel taught her when dealing with contracts. Something about...
----"Consider it as laws. The directives of your mission can be prioritized by number, say, give the highest priority, '1', to the target itself, or whatever the contract wants." Demon stated.
"We may not always be going for a kill?" Ami was surprised
Angel chuckled, "No. There are worse things than death, as you well know."
"What if the assignment goals compromise our safety?" Ami thought to ask.
Angel smiled, "Ah... I got an idea from a well-respected author. He, too, needed an answer for that question, so he came up with a law that superseded all previous laws."
Demon smirked, "Our modification is simple. Whenever you are in a situation where the contract endangers your life, or your oaths, supersede the contract."
"What is that law called?" Ami asked.
"The law of ZEROTH." Her trainers chorused.
----"I need a ZEROTH law..." she whispered to herself. She reached over her shirt and touched the symbol on her right breast.
"Go to them." Demon told his student, breaking Ami out of her musings.
Ami blinked at him.
Angel smirked, "It's obvious that you aren't with us. We can handle this one, imoto. Get to them."
Ami nodded and looked at Ophanimon who returned her partner's nod.
"Hang on guys, I'm coming!" Ami yelled as she transformed into Lilith, teleporting Ophanimon and herself to the battlefield.
----Meanwhile…
"I sense a Digimon in this direction." Falcomon told his partner as the two rushed to the battlefield. "Come on!"
"Oh no!" the owl gasped upon seeing Saberleomon.
"Well?" Saberleomon challenged.
"Howling Cannon!" Machgaogamon fired his attack.
"Lila Shower!" Lilamon unleashed her attack.
"Trident Revolver!" RizeGreymon released his attack.
Saberleomon simply roared to dispel the attacks closing in on him.
"Howling Crusher!" the gold lion then stuck RizeGreymon with his charge up claw.
"Beauty Slap!" Lilamon flew in to attack.
"Infinity Arrow!" Saberleomon fired his needles from his fur at the plant Digimon.
"Wining Knuckle!" Machgaogamon came in from behind, punching the golden lion. Saberleomon just chuckled, crushing the Ultimate level Digimon under his foot.
"So strong…" Falcomon gasped.
"No way, even Ultimate level attacks are completely useless against him!" Yoshi noted.
"I can't believe it!" Marcus ran towards his fallen partner. "One hit did this to you, RizeGreymon? You've got to get up and try again. We can't let this guy win!"
"Oh no, what's Keenan doing there?" Thomas gasped when he saw the child.
"That's enough!" Keenan shouted at Saberleomon.
"No, Keenan!" Falcomon called out to his partner.
"Yes, it true. Some hu-mons once come attack Digital World." Keenan told the golden lion. "But still, no make it right to attack these guys! Just stop!"
Who is this pipsqueak to speak to me this way? Saberleomon wondered. He's a human himself. He can't possibly understand.
"Stop!" Keenan told the golden lion.
Falcomon rushed in to grab Keenan before Saberleomon's attack hit him.
"Keenan, no!" Marcus ran towards the injured child. "You okay?"
"No, me want to stop Saberleomon. But can't." Keenan muttered.
"Hey, you did great kid." Marcus told him. "Just leave the rest to me."
"Saberleomon!" he hollered. "How dare you pick on a defenseless kid like Keenan? That is it! It's really fighting time now! You don't scare me. RizeGreymon, get up! I know you can do it!"
"I'm sorry Boss." RizeGreymon apologized. "But I can't…"
"Come on RizeGreymon!" Marcus urged. "You just have to!"
Now nothing can stop me from totally annihilating these weaklings! Saberleomon thought.
"Omaginasai." came Lilith's soft voice.
Hm? Saberleomon frowned, noticing a sudden burst of light coming from between the burning oil rigs.
What is this? The golden lion was stunned as he saw an immense halo of holy light surround the newcomer as she approached him. What is this warm, forgiving, gentle and benevolent aura? That aura is… It's the first time I've ever felt that strong of an aura… it isn't like any I've felt before… it's very strong… no… what I feel is beyond any other aura, like the universe itself! Probably no one has such a powerful aura! Could this child be…!
What is… this? He gaped as he saw a vision of a winged Lilith behind the girl.
"I get it!" Saberleomon gasped in recognition. "You're… you're…"
"My Lady…" he greeted her, relieved that his Goddess was still alive as Merukimon had said.
Lilith merely nodded at the golden lion as she lifted the 'Seed of Life' in her right palm before him. The jewel in her palm flashed, encasing both female and Digimon in its cocoon of light, before expanding outwards and healing those wounded in the battle, human and Digimon alike.
"Hm?" Saberleomon blinked as Gizumon AT appeared before him after the healing light of 'Seed of Life' died down.
"What in the world…" the golden lion asked. "Who is that?"
In response, Gizumon AT fired its laser eye beam at Lilith.
"My Lady!" Saberleomon yelled, coming between his Goddess and the incoming laser beam, taking the hit for her. After its intended attack failed, Gizumon AT fled the scene.
"What did you do to me?" Saberleomon muttered, his vision fizzing as he collapsed before Lilith.
"Saberleomon, you…" Lilith gasped.
"It's gone. What was that thing?" Thomas asked.
"I don't know. But it did something to Saberleomon." Yoshi replied. "Never mind that, correct me if I am wrong, but did Saberleomon just save Ami?"
"He did." Thomas nodded mutely in shock.
"My Lady…" Saberleomon muttered. "I…"
"Saberleomon!" Lilith gaped as she knelt, placing her Spear on the ground and taking the lion's head in her embrace.
"My Lady…" Saberleomon muttered in her arms. "My Lady… please… please pardon me…"
Lilith nodded in understanding.
Saberleomon let out a smile, now knowing that he had his Goddess' forgiveness before disappearing into Digital dust in her arms.
"So, anybody hungry?" Marcus approached the stunned Keenan. "Well, I don't know about you, but I can go for some fried egg curry. Right?"
Keenan nodded with grateful tears in his eyes.
"Lilith-sama." Ophanimon looked at her before devolving back into Tailmon.
"I'll be fine, Tailmon." She assured the cat as the 'Seed of Life' flashed once again, Lilith returning Ami's body to her.
"Lady Ami…" Tailmon blinked at the pained expression on her partner's face.
"Should I hide the razors in your room when we get back?" the cat tried to joke.
"Ha, ha Tailmon." Ami muttered in heavy sarcasm.
"Razors, Tailmon?" Thomas raised a questioning brow as he and Gaomon approached the pair.
The cat nodded, "She may look unaffected when she ended an Digimon's existence, but every single time Lady Ami took a Digimon's life, the recoil of the fact that it was she who ended their lives will hit her about an hour later. The very first time she killed a Digimon, Mistress Angel found her bleeding to death in her room with a razor blade in her hand. Doesn't take a genius to figure out what she did."
"She cut herself?" Gaomon concluded.
"Yes." Tailmon replied as Thomas took the shaking girl into his arms, allowing her to find comfort in him.
Ami's next sentence was cut off when Kurata approached the group, applauding.
"Very impressive." Kurata noted. "I have never seen such a display of strength and teamwork before."
"Why are you here?" Yoshi asked.
"Well, let's just see I was in the neighborhood." Kurata answered. "Now, about that strange Digimon I saw. Can you tell me its name?"
"I don't know." Yoshi confessed. "I've never seen it before."
"And there doesn't seem to have a record of it in the data base." Thomas added.
"An unknown Digimon huh?" Marcus mused.
"It sure was strong." Kurata noted. "I mean none of you have made a tiny little dent in Saberleomon until it came along."
"Sorry, no offense. Your efforts are nothing to sneeze that." He added, sneezing as Agumon came running towards his partner. "Perhaps you're not even taking the right approach at all. I mean many, if not most Digimon, see humans as their sworn enemies. I believe we should do something about that. Wouldn't you agree it's a problem that needs taking care of, Thomas?"
"And it's your way of thinking that leads to more war." Ami glared at Kurata.
"Let's go." She told the others coldly, as she turned her heel to leave.
----Later in Marcus' house…
"Well?" Sarah smiled as the four males drooled over the plates of fried egg curry with rice before them.
"Thanks for the food!" the now extended Damon family chorused and the four males dug in.
"Guess you don't like that fried egg curry much huh?" Kristy joked.
"No talk. Eating." Keenan managed to answer.
"Don't worry, I made plenty for seconds." Sarah sweatdropped.
"You'd better make thirds and fourths then too." Agumon noted, devouring his belated breakfast.
----In the bathroom…
"Make sure you get nice and clean or Kristy will throw you right back in the tub." Marcus told Keenan.
"Okay." Keenan replied.
"So, um…" the younger boy started. "It okay let me here?"
"Huh?" Marcus inquired under the shower head.
"Me say nothing." Keenan replied, sinking his head into the bathtub.
"We're glad you're here." Marcus grinned, turning off the shower head.
"Hey, I'm getting into the bath too!" Agumon announced.
"And me!" Falcomon added.
"No!" Keenan protested as the two Digimon jumped into the tub with him. "Me here first!"
----In Thomas' mansion…
"You okay?" Thomas asked the girl genius beside him, a glass tea pot with two tea cups and saucers in front of them along with a plate of Angel's renowned mochi.
Ami nodded mutely, knowing very well that the recoil had hit her, hard. She had to watch another Digimon die again. The same cold, dark feeling from when she first ended a Digimon's life coursed through her body yet again. The darkness festered and clawed in her, as if struggling to take over.
She cursed her weakness. She should be used to this by now.
"Demon-nii is so going to lecture me for this." she mused, leaning onto Thomas' shoulder as she let out a weak smile. "I can almost imagine what he's going to say, 'Quit letting those fucking notions run around your head, damn it! Whether those Digimon are good or bad, you ended their existence tonight. What you're feeling right now is normal. It makes you human. The time when you don't feel a thing when you kill someone, that's the time you should question your humanity. Every bloody human being is made up of both light and darkness. The only difference is the balance between that light and darkness inside each of us, making us either a being of light, or of darkness. You're of light, Squirt. The darkness inside you might grow, but don't let it overtake your light. Don't lose yourself in it, or you'll lose your identity. If you're really desperate for some therapy, you can talk to your onee-chan. She'll most likely know how to help you cope. Since I'm of darkness, I don't have a damn fucking clue what you're feeling right now; I've never experienced it.'"
"Definitely sounds like Demon from what I've seen of him." Thomas remarked.
"He's right though." He noted. "You shouldn't lose yourself in the darkness."
Nuzzling her neck, he picked up a mochi and fed her.
Ami chuckled as she bit a bite off the sweet, causing Thomas to quirk a brow at her.
"Angel-nee spoils me too much every time I return." Ami grinned. "I swear if she ever opens a sweets shop once all this is over, her mochi will be the first to sell like hot cakes."
Outside the study, Thomas' butler peered in and smiled at the cuddling teens, oblivious to anything except each other. He had seen that his young master's disposition had lightened when the blue-haired girl reentered his life.
----