MPC 52B: Army of Two

MPC Name: Paradigm Shift
MPC Number: 52B
Reward Requested: Posts

Commandramon leaned back against a tree, one of many in this undeveloped forest section of the Timberlands, and sighed. "It's over, Yoshi. Go home. There's nothing more we can do here." Even though the armed lizard said that in a cool, even tone, his face gave him away; he was in despair and sinking fast down the rabbit hole of utter hopelessness. But why shouldn't he have been? The movement was over, the rebellion finished. None of his forces had any further resolve, so when the offer of amnesty for surrendering rebels came from that gang, all but Commandramon were so demoralized that they took the offer. The worst part? Despite Commandramon's warnings, his army had walked right into the trap he had correctly identified the offer as right from the start. Now they were all prisoners, hostages... and the reptile knew those digimon would be used as either bargaining chips for his own surrender or - worse - an example.

Yoshi was trying to look straight down at Commandramon's eyes, but the normally proud digimon was whimpering, unable to look his general in the eye. "I refuse to believe all our effort was wasted!"

"-got us here." It was almost a relief to hear Commandramon growl back at Tadayoshi; it meant maybe he was getting a little of his will and righteous anger back. Nevertheless, the boy recoiled from the verbal stab. "...I'm sorry. You're the only reason we got this far. I should be thanking you. But you still have no reason to be here. Go home."

"Kid, sometimes the good guys lose!" Commandramon stood up and held out a fist toward his own general, though at least he was still keeping his weapon pointed downward. "And sometimes they lose irredeemably! I can't believe I have to say this to someone from the 'real' world, but get your head out of the clouds and come back to reality!"

"Then I'll make you!" A single tear fell from the reptile's eye as he finally raised his weapon... and pointed it at his own General. "You're only in danger here now! If I have to drag you back myself, I'll do it!" Still, Tadayoshi stood unmoved. Out of words, Commandramon just shouted and growled in pure righteous frustration... and began to glow a bright white all over. Only now did Tadayoshi actually back away with a few reservations; before his very eyes, he witnessed the transformation of Commandramon into his form Sealsdramon, a form normally accessible through fusion. This even struck Sealsdramon himself hard enough to make him forget the subject and look down at his own body. "What-?"

"How did you do that?" Tadayoshi started to dig around and fumble in his pocket as he stammered out, "I-I didn't do that!"

"Nor I!" Sealsdramon seemed just as flustered as Yoshi. "I mean, I didn't mean to." That was just when Tadayoshi finally caught a grasp of the object he'd been looking for: his digivice. He yanked it out of his pocket with as much urgency as pulling a tick off his skin, but the object that came out was not his aqua and silver Xros Loader he had become familiar with. The coloring was similar, but that was about the only similarity between the two machines; this was a completely different device altogether, not a Xros Loader, but, "A D-3!"

"It's how I deal with stress!" Tadayoshi once again closed the distance to inspect his friend. The body of Sealsdramon bore no obvious difference between that of the fusion version, "Sealsdramon, we've seen this before. This isn't a fusion; it's digivolution!" After soaking in the shock and amazement, Tadayoshi smirked. "Hey, Sealsdramon, remember what I said about-?"

"Well, well, what do we have here?" That question came from neither Sealsdramon nor Commandramon: it was the voice of the occupying gang's first lieutenant, Devidramon. "I've been watching you two for a while now. It smelled like a trap, encountering one-shot Commandramon and his resolute General Tadayoshi Teppei... on a routine patrol route, no less. But it really seems like you just got sloppy."

Sealsdramon pulled his general behind himself and stood firm. "Don't bother making me your little offer. I refuse in advance."

Naturally, Tadayoshi was both too bright to believe that was true and too stubborn to give himself up even if he'd believed it. "Hey... Sealsdramon."

That last word made Devidramon's eyes widen. Wisely, he launched his attack then in an effort to prevent the possibility of further digivolution entirely. Since Tadayoshi was right in the path of the incoming, "Darkness Beam!" by standing behind Sealsdramon, all he could do was hide behind his comrade, shut his eyes, and brace himself for potential impact. Much to his relief, there wasn't one. But the most surprising part only happened when Tadayoshi opened his eyes; the attack had been nullified, but not by Sealsdramon. No, Sealsdramon was nowhere to be found. Instead there was only- "Cyberdramon?"

"Let me make you an offer," Cyberdramon arrogantly taunted without breaking his defensive posture. "Leave my new Tamer alone. If you do, I'm still going to hunt you down and eliminate you, but it won't be here and now." Seeing he hadn't another option - Devidramon had no chance against a Perfect digimon, after all - he hastily fled. "Fine. I'll admit it, Yoshi. All isn't lost."

"That is so cool!" Yoshi offered his partner a fist bump, then, and it was well-received. "So does this mean you won't give up yet?"

Cyberdramon pretended to be confused by the question. "Give up? Why would I give up the fight now? With this new power and my Tamer by my side, the only thing I can't defeat is the flow of time itself."

Word count: 1125