Converging in the Realm of Evil

[Usachan]

Usa paid little mind to the newcomers, focusing on Teo and how to keep him safe. She gasped and tried very hard not to whimper when Devimon absorbed his companions and grew stronger.

"I'm only sixteen, I don't want to die here...." She thought then shook her head. "No, I've got to be strong. I've got to protect Teo." Her hand snapped up and caught her D-3. "Let's level the playing field. DIGIMENTAL UP!"

"V-mon armor shinkaa! Fladramon!" Vee ran towards Devimon. "Knuckle Fire!" he shot fireballs towards the evil digimon.

[shivdeeviant]

Demidevimon was shielded from Yang's attack as the Chamelemon put his shoulder in the way. The great lizard grunted from the weight of the Rookie and fell to a knee. Demidevimon shuddered slightly and a digivice fell from his grip.

Then Devimon unleashed his power upon the fools. Devimon chuckled with confidence as the children were swallowed up. Then the power reached him and he felt his master's displeasure. Demidevimon cried out in pain as his master's power burned through him. Why was his master displeased with him? Had he not done a good job? What had he done wrong?

As soon as the pain had slammed into him it was gone, leaving Demidevimon disoriented and confused. The digivices were gone from his grasp, they were now in the hand of his master. Demidevimon watched in horrified confusion as Devimon absorbed the Chamelemon.

"Boss!" The loyal minions stuttered as they disappeared, "Why?!"

Demidevimon briefly wondered if he would be taken too. If we would be allowed to join with his master in his moment of triumph. He waited for the call to come, to be broken into his base data and become his master's power.

Then the portal opened, and Devimon returned the digivices to the chosen.

Demidevimon many emotions surging through him at that point. Devimon had praised him, but he had thoroughly reversed Demidevimon's plans. Suddenly Demidevimon knew what had displeased his master.

He had.

In his haste to please Devimon, Demidevimon had somehow crossed the line that his master had drawn. His master had his own plan, and was showing Demidevimon his own worthlessness. This task that was given him was not a reward, it was a shuffle to another place, to get him out of the way where he couldn't do any more harm to the master's plan.

Demidevimon turned and sulked through the portal, into the dark hallways of the Data Factory.

[Dante]

Dante, having gotten his digivice back, was about ready to leave everyone to their impending combat. Sounded like they'd be busy, but not his problem, right? Then the portal closed.

Double crap.

As he was turning around, the room was changing. It kinda wigged him out a little bit, but he was fairly sanguine. He looked about the room for a short moment while Devimon postured.

Nice decor. Wonder if he can get my room like this...

While most would find it weird, he actually enjoyed the darker sort of feel in the room. It was clearly intended to strike fear into his heart, but instead struck interest. That done, he only really saw one thing to do in a room that couldn't be escaped...

"Shall we take him down, Gatomon?"

Gatomon was, for her part, past ready. She had been about to strike when the room changed. Once it had, she was focused. The power coursing through her in this form was even greater than she remembered. She longed to use it against the virus before her, and she was only too willing to follow Dante's lead.

"Already on it."

She lunged for Devimon, hungry for his defeat.

"Lightning Paw!" she cried, her outstretched claws lusting after the face of her enemy.

[shivdeeviant]

Yang slid backward after the attack connected, looking very focused on his prey. Shiv, for the life of him wanted his digivice back. No one would take from him again something that was his.

Then the cloud of fear engulfed the group.

Yin felt the blood lust wash over him. Felt it as he felt all evil. His eyes widened, and his memories flooded through his psyche. Suddenly he was back in his home village, all of his friends dying around him. His only thought was a question. Where was Yang? He needed to be protected!

Yang had never known a moment of fear in his entire life. His curiosity and focus was a shield against the fear that found no hold in him. This was the wrong darkness to defeat Yang.

Shiv knew this sensation. He knew Devimon's feelings as though he had known Devimon all his life. The sensation of one wanting to press his desires upon all weaker than him. Any resistance would be crushed with as much humiliation as possible. This was Shiv's life every day in the real world. This was high school all over again. Devimon was a bully, albeit a very powerful one. Shiv had never given a bully any reason to think that he was weak and cowardly. Never gave a bully reason to want to pick on him. So Shiv was not cowed by Devimon's superficial show of power, not impressed with his purported mastery of darkness. Shiv stood tall.

The darkness passed in moments, and the topographical change was gaudy and ugly. The decor showed no purpose other than to inspire fear. Shiv took in all of these details, scoffing at Devimon's taste in villainy. What kind of boss did he think he was? As Devimon absorbed the minions and called power unto himself, Shiv only saw Devimon weakening his position on the battlefield. Then Devimon did something that cemented his place as an ineffectual bully in Shiv's mind.

He gave back everyone's digivice.

Shiv held the small gadget in his right hand, seeing only the Fangmon defeating him and his friends. Knowing that they let him go, that they let him live. This action spoke loud and clear to Shiv.

You are weak. it said, It doesn't matter if you have these.

Shiv's grip tightened on his device. This was just too much to bear, to be ignored was the greatest insult. Shiv looked at Devimon with vengeful eyes.

"Oh you can just go to hell," Said Shiv, thrusting his digivice outward, its light spreading to his entire body, "Your inelegance is surpassed only by your hubris. That you believe that you need all of your power to beat us bespeaks your insecurity. Your actions prove your inadequacy. I swear, with this head of mine and by the device in my hand, I will defeat you with every fiber of my being! Yang! Show me your power!"

Light spread across Yang, who looked briefly surprised at the sudden power surge.

"Yeah!" He shouted emphatically, "Here we go!"

He jumped into the air. Yang's body turned to bright light as he landed next to Shiv.

"Shinka!" Yang cried, "Gotsumon! Shinka! Starmon!"

Suddenly the living rock that was kneeling next to Shiv stood up, the light dissipating off of him to reveal a new form. Yang stood, the light glinting off of his eyes and the points of his stars. A bandanna flapped in a breeze that came from nowhere. Yin's eyes widened in alarm, Yang was now a champion. It was like a nightmare. Shiv saw Yin's fear and gave him a stern glare.

"Yin!" Said Shiv, "Yang needs you now more than ever! Become Ryudamon!"

Yin gulped, and shifted forms meekly. The power that was radiating the two of them was awe inspiring.

Shiv stood proudly, the pain in his leg forgotten.

"Yang," he said resolutely, "Show this cretin what you can do."

[Atlas Jiruga]

Atlas was shocked at everything that happened. The scenery change and Devimon absorbing all of his minions. Renal was filled with fear. He didn't like the new scenery.

Atlas was suprised that they got their digivices back. He then felt encouraged. "Renal get ready to say hi to an old friend." Atlas said. When Renal looked at Atlas, he was smiling. Renal smiled back. "OK!" Renal shouted while raising his fist in the air.

Atlas' hand was then covered in his purple digisoul. "Digisoul...Charge!" Atlas shouted placing his hand on his digivice. "Monodramon Shinka! Strikedramon!" Renal shouted as the great transformation had occured.

"Renal show him what you got!" Atlas said smirking. "Stike Fang!" Renal shouted rushing at Devimon.

[Inori]

"Can't fight them with your own power, Devimon? I'm disappointed." Alchemon noted from the shadows, his voice oozing with dismay and something else that was hard to place. "I thought you would be so much more intimidating, but this? I find myself highly disappointed indeed."

Wizardmon on the other hand...was not as much into taunting his enemy. Electricity began to gather at his hand, crackling angrily. He was not going to let Inori get hurt this time, nor was he going to let himself seem weak, considering how the last few battles had gone for him. Not this time. Quickly he raised his hand towards Devimon, letting the electricity gather as it moved.

"Thunder Ball." He stated in an unusually calm tone as the ball of electricity shot off towards Devimon.

Inori remained behind her partner, but found herself at a lack of words. She'd just sort of been shoved into this situation...and wasn't quite sure what to make of it other then Wizardmon clearly felt the ominous black winged creature was a threat that needed to be dealt with. For the moment, she trusted him and his actions, and prepared herself to move if it became necessary to get out of harms way. She didn't want to distract him from what he needed to do by having to be rescued after all.

[Teo Sage]

Devimon grinned as a few of the chosen attacked Devimon defended himself from the fireballs by deflecting them with his wings minimizing the damage.

Soon after Tailmon's lightning paw came at him with quick speed Devimon moved to the side but the claw grazing his side. Next was Strikedramon.

Devimon smiled as he took the attack head on grabbing the flaming claws as smoke rose from his hands representing the scorching flames yet not a cry was heard from Devimon just a laugh.

"Is this the power of your vaccine? I'm not impressed." Devimon laughed. He gripped Strikedramon's claw tighter ensuring no escape then as he heard the crackling of the lightning rushing at him he then would kick Strikedramon's feet out from under him.

Once airborne Devimon would toss Strikedramon into Wizardmon's attack. Devimon quickly made his way into the air thereafter.

3rd degree burned hands stained with his blood were visible but no physical signs of pain was displayed by Devimon. Devimon opened and closed them "Its been a while since I've seen my own..." Devimon turned to respond to Shiv.

"You are a fool child, insecurities? What would a digimon do with such folly? You seem to think that you emotionally unstable humans corresponds to myself? No boy I simply take enjoyment in the killing of others its a hobby of mine power is just another means of doing so. I'm getting the sense that your the kind of human that tries to see his problems in others and deal with it accordingly perhaps the one with insecurities is you." Devimon then eyed the shadows.

"I can see you have no sense of battle alchemist only a fool would try to fight numerous opponents at level of strength insufficient to win. You act like gaining power is something that shows weakness. As a digimon surely you understand that gaining power is the only way to survive in our world, I gave my minions the ultimate in gifts I allowed them to become a part of me to ensure your demise. Instead of becoming trash data they have become something greater! Now their power IS my power." Devimon retorted.

He turned to see Yami jumping up at him "Enough demon!" Yami crossed his boukuto "Ittoru--" Before Yami could finish Devimon was at his side "What!?" Yami tried to quickly move from attacking to defending but for naught.

Devimon lashed out a kick to Yami's ribs knocking the wind out of him and sending him crashing to the floor. "Yami!" Teo cried but stayed behind Usa. "I-I'm alright." Yami said getting to his feet.

Devimon laughed as he levitated awaiting the next move.

[Usachan]

Vee growled as his attacks were deflected. "Kuso...." All the Digimon attacking were Adult or Armored level, and yet none of their attacks landed a major hit.

Usa frowned as Devimon talked to two of the new comers. A boy who was insecure and a power-hungry shadow thing. This did not bode well in her mind. She shook her head. She would think about them later. "Vee! Try again! There's no way he can take so much damage without showing any signs of faltering!"

He nodded then covered himself in flames and shot towards Devimon. "Fire Rocket!"

[Dante]

Dante was somewhat taken aback by the vehemence with which Shiv engaged the big palooka that radiated darkness and seemed like someone that was probably better off defeated anyway. Still, the thing had certainly pushed Shiv's buttons, and the kid just leapt into battle. Rather like Gatomon, who had also taken a somewhat irrational dislike to the thing. For Dante's part, he just figured that fighting the guy was all there was to do in a room containing other kids and him. He was the odd monkey out, and the only one Gatomon didn't like. It was simple math to Dante. Apparently everyone else didn't feel the same. He watched as pretty much none of the attacks launched actually worked as intended.

Clever fish...

He turned to Shiv, hardly believing the words that came out of his mouth.

"Come up with a plan so we can beat this thing, Shiv."

He took a breath. Well, that was weird. No taking it back now, though, so might as well press on. He held up a hand, gesturing with his index finger towards the kid's face.

"This doesn't mean that I like you. I just want to get this over with, see?"

Meanwhile, Gatomon was oblivious to most everything except herself and her foe. A particularly dodgy foe at that. Well, she had a solution to that. She moved herself so she could look directly into Devimon's eyes and focused. If her plan worked, she'd be able to start figuring out how to get through the incredible defense he'd just displayed.

"Cat's Eye Hypnotism!"

Should Devimon not be possessing of reflexes or foreknowledge like unto a deity, which was highly unlikely, her eyes would entrance her foe, leaving him off his guard for a moment. If he fell into her hypnosis, he would begin to lose control of his body bit by bit as paralysis spread through him. Either way, she would know how to proceed. This foe was one of two things: he was either entirely too powerful for his level, which would seem to indicate some other opponent using him as a puppet, or he was vulnerable after all and just possessing of a decent defense against people lunging at him yelling the names of their attacks. Soon he would either be revealed as much too powerful to seriously be a Champion level digimon or under her power for the precious seconds in which she could keep him entranced.

[shivdeeviant]

Dante's assertion nearly threw Shiv off his focus. Instead, Shiv only partially heard him, a small corner of his mind logging the saying away for future consideration. Now, all of Shiv's mental faculties were employed in defeated the pretender before him.

Power flowed between Shiv and Yang, and with the power came a kind of understanding and knowledge that couldn't be spoken in words. They were apart, but it felt as though they were one. Yang saw Shiv in a way that he had never thought possible, and Shiv in turn knew Yang closer than any other. He knew what Yang was capable of as though he had trained in there use for years. Yang saw through Shiv what he could do with such powers. With this bond came an odd unity to their actions. The breathing matched and they blinked at the same time. Shiv knew that this was temporary, but he still found the feeling to be both amazing and terrifying. Shiv would think on that later, as he would many things.

Devimon was before him, that was all that mattered.

"Yin," said Shiv and Yang quietly in unison, "Always stay opposite of Devimon from my position, look for opportunity but do not attack. Think of your involvement in the Fangmon attack, your rookie attack defeated one of them! You have the brains to help us. Please use them. And know, Gatomon can do it too."

Yin's eyes widened in fear. What had happened to Yang? What was all of this? Why was this happening? Who was this new digimon? Thinking these thoughts, Yin was almost paralyzed with fear and indecision. Yang was acting like Shiv. This did not bode well. All Yin wanted was for Yang to be himself again. Yin shook his head. No matter what happened, they needed to survive, and Yang was still his brother. Family was family, and nothing would separate them. Ever.

Yin ran with beast-like grace and speed to the other side of Devimon. This just so happened to be the direction the villain was currently facing, with Gatomon looking into Devimon's eyes. He would follow Yang's order's, and look for his opportunity while staying opposite his brother.

Meanwhile, Yang prepared for the fight. Shiv noticed Gatomon's attack and guessed it's purpose from her declaration. He would take advantage of Devimon's hopeful distraction. Yang chuckled and raised his right fist. A glowing blue energy began to coalesce over his knuckles. Through Shiv, he could not help uttering...

"This hand of mine glows with an awesome power."

With that oblique reference out of the way, Yang charged forward, his booted feet pounding against the stone ground. In this form he was much faster than when he was a gotsumon! He closed the distance in the breadth of a heartbeat. His fist lowered down and forward in his approach, the power trailing behind it in its speed. Yang brought the fist up in a blazing uppercut.

Together Shiv and Yang shouted their attack.

"Star Upper!" cried Yang.

"Shoryuken!" Cried Shiv.

[Atlas Jiruga]

Renal was struck by Wizardmon's lightning bolt and fell to the ground. Renal immediately jumped to his feet. "Renal come i have a plan!" Atlas shouted. Renal looked at Atlas then at Devimon and growled. Renal jumped up and got close to Devimon to knee him in his stomach. If Renal made contact he would then use a Stike Claw to his face.

Atlas was shocked that Renal disobeyed his order. "Renal!" Atlas screamed when he jumped to preform his attack on Devimon. "Why didn't he listen? He usually follows orders!" Atlas said angered.

[Inori]

Inori glanced to Atlas offering him a slight shrug. "Maybe he has a plan of his own?" That was about all the helpful advice she could give at the moment. Her source of knowledge about the digital world was too busy fighting to pay much attention to what was going on.

Wizardmon's staff began glowing blue as he muttered the words: "Magical Game."

Multiple illusions of Wizardmon appeared in various locations, all moving to surround Devimon. A few of them appeared to be charging some kind of attack.

[Teo Sage]

Devimon watched Vee charge head on with his attack Devimon grinned and raised his hand at the incoming digimon. "Dea--" Before Devimon could finish someone was entering his mind trying to bend him to their will.

It wasn't hard to tell who as only one with holy energy could even attempt such a thing. Gatomon at this time fell into Devimon's subconscious they became linked but only instead of falling into a trance Gatomon saw memories of Devimon they came quick about a second a piece.

Flashes of the horrid things Devimon had done the torture, senseless murder, disturbing experimentation of digimon, only he wasn't Devimon but Angemon. He was in the old city that today was corrupted and abandoned he did these things behind closed doors.

Behind the blind eyes of his elders and the Sovereigns then a most unsettling memory came a dark figure of some sort unrecognizable to Gatomon, gave Angemon his dark power turning him to the Devimon of today. He eventually helped destroy the old world of digimon. Before Gatomon could see anything else she was quickly ejected and the hypnosis broken. Devimon was unable to be controlled but at the same time was unable to block her completely those few seconds was all the Hypnosis allowed, Devimon would not let that happen again.

As soon as Devimon regained his composer it was to late to attack Vee but instead had to quickly dodge to the side. His guard was completely thrown off now and Starmon connected with Devimon's chin. Sending him hurdling towards the spikes above he stopped just before colliding with one.

He was about to open his mouth to speak when he was shut up quickly by Renals assault. The knee colliding with his stomach blood and spit flying out of his mouth. Unable to react to the strike claw that followed sending him crashing harshly to the ground below.

He was slow to rise then to his dismay saw many Wizardmon before him, a little rattled from the onslaught he endured he was unable to locate the real one which was all the distraction Yami needed. He rushed through one of the illusions and bashed Devimon's face to the left with his right bokutou then back to the right with the left followed by another right slash finally placing both crossed Bokutou on Devimon's stomach.

"Ittouryoudan!" A point blank shockwave hurdled Devimon across the room to the other side past all the other digimon. Yami slid backwards from the force of the blow then stood tall.

Teo cheered when Devimon fell "Take that!" He cried.

A few moments passed until Devimon finally stood his body battered and his face warped and stained from the prior thrashing. "You.......will pay.........dearly." He muttered

Devimon took serious damage and finally for the first time during this battle became dead serious. He was pissed.

Yami quickly noticed the change in Devimon's attitude "Everyone be careful." He said he raised his bokutou and prepared to continue his attacks.

[Usachan]

Both Vee and Usa cheered a little when Devimon seemed to weaken from all the attacks.

Vee then tensed and stood in front of Usa. "Be careful, something is different, he seems more powerful.

Usa held onto Teo a bit tighter.

[Dante]

While Gatomon hadn't been expecting to see into Devimon's subconscious, she wasn't too fazed by it. He was pretty obviously not a nice fellow, so scenes of him torturing and being not very nice to other digimon didn't surprise her terribly much. What did catch her notice was that many of the aforementioned acts had been conducted as an Angemon. He hadn't been a Dark type digimon his whole life. He'd been a Holy type once, and an angel. An angel like her...

No. I'm not like that. I'm a cat. They can't make me be their angel...

She shook her head, only barely even cognizant of the dark figure that had appeared in that shared vision in which Devimon had transformed from light to dark. This was a digimon that had destroyed the old world. The one before them. The dark virus in demon form. Devimon. Her eyes narrowed. He was wounded now. While she'd been shaking off the effects of the memory, and the horrible reminder of what they wanted to make her become, the group had hurt him. So much the better. She wanted him hurt. She enjoyed seeing him wounded and ready to lash out in hate. Every fiber of her being wanted him gone. He represented everything she didn't want for herself. Not even the sovereigns could force her to be something she didn't want to be. She moved in towards the wounded devil, not so close that he could reach her, but close enough that she wasn't all that far away if she found herself needing to reach for his eyes or something.

I'm going to kill you, Devimon. You're everything I don't want in this world, and I'll kill you to start walking down my own path. I choose my own responsibility, and not even you can make me become an angel.

Dante sensed his partner's intensity, but said nothing, choosing instead to believe in her and not throw her off her game, as it were. There would be time enough for questions later.