Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Sometimes I wonder whether or not I even own my own ideas. I mean, don't I just synthesize what I see, hear, and read into something else? Food for thought.

Chapter 1: Of Kode and Mon

Do you want to know a secret? A secret privy to only a chosen few?

At the core of every living being is something known as Kode. Kode makes up a being's heart…his soul, some might say. The very essence of a being is inscribed in its Kode. Kode reflects the being's physical and mental state in the truest way possible. It deteriorates as the being ages and dies. It darkens as the being falls into the pits of despair. Normally, a being's Kode is hidden away from view. However, when he is severely injured, his Kode becomes visible. This is when he is the most vulnerable.

Vulnerable to what, you ask? Well, in this world, there are creatures that prey on Kode. They are known as Mon. Most people cannot see Mon, but they are all around us. You've heard of them, haven't you? Ghosts, witches, boogie men. Forty percent of Mon are free-living, picking off the Kode of other Mon. These cause small disturbances usually attributed to run-of-the-mill apparitions. What most people don't know is that the remaining Mon actually depend on humans to survive. About 35 percent live harmlessly attached to a human's Kode, only absorbing what they need. Another 20 percent act as parasites, devouring their human's Kode, taking over their identities and bodies. These Mon may go so far as to use their hosts to attack other humans and steal their Kode to become stronger. As for the last 5 percent, they have formed contracts with their humans, granting their hosts incredible powers.

Keep in mind that this power comes at a price—drawing on a Mon's abilities means giving it free access to your Kode. And if you aren't careful, you might lose yourself to the beast inside…

xxx

"Come back here, you thief!" Takuya Kanbara screamed as he weaved through the crowd of people in the red light district of Shibuya. The brunette was in hot pursuit of a black-haired teenage girl carrying a large burlap knapsack.

"Ugh! Screw it!" the boy exclaimed as he stumbled over a broken beer bottle. He pulled a grappling gun from his belt and fired. The hook fastened to a window ledge as the line pulled Takuya with it. Said gun was a part of his standard uniform as a member of Fractal Corp, a secret organization dedicated to the protection of human Kode. More specifically, Takuya was one of Fractal's Warriors, a special unit tasked with neutralizing Mon threats. As such, his uniform was designed for both stealth and battle. His attire consisted of a long jacket with a pair of pants. Various pockets lined the outfit, concealing such objects as explosives and throwing knives. A belt held a communicator, a company-mandated grappling gun (which could also double as a stun gun) and Takuya's weapon of choice—darts laced with a heat-stable tranquilizer. The entire ensemble was completely black except for a red W-shaped insignia on his left breast pocket which indicated his position in the corporation. The tinted goggles on the fifteen-year-old's head were his own personal touch.

Jumping from rooftop to rooftop was his fellow Warrior Kouji Minamoto. He too was wearing the standard Fractal uniform, but his dark blue hair was secured back with a blue and white striped bandanna. Attached to his back was Kouji's weapon of choice, a pair of twin swords with a wolf head engraved onto each hilt.

"Can't you ever do anything right?" the raven-haired boy yelled in annoyance.

"Hey! It's not my fault that the chick suddenly set off a smoke screen in the middle of the store! That wasn't on her file," Takuya protested.

"It was your fault for getting distracted by it," Kouji barked as the duo closed in on their quarry.

"Gotcha!" Takuya said as he summoned a ball of fire out of thin air. With perfect accuracy, he hit the target's shoulder from above.

"Stay away from me!" the girl screamed. Putrid smoke shot out of her palms, shrouding the area in complete darkness.

"Oops. I think my flames made it worse." Takuya rubbed his head sheepishly.

"Imbecile." Taking advantage of the potential energy at his height, Kouji dived and tackled the target to the ground. With a swift chop, he knocked the criminal out. Right on cue, a ring of Kode appeared around her body. A smoke-shaped Mon could be seen clinging to a small hole in the strip of zeroes and ones.

"Thank goodness! The damage is minimal. The guys in the Digitizing Division can still purify her," the brunette said. He had jumped down himself when the smoke had started to subside. "Though she'll still have to serve some time for the jewels that she stole…funny how Mon possessions can worsen destructive tendencies, huh? Uh, Kouji, are you even listening to me?"

Suddenly, two hands shot out and grabbed Takuya by the collar. His partner's eyes flashed dangerously. "What the hell was that?" Kouji spat.

"I told you! I didn't expect that she could make smoke—"

"Not that," the blue-haired boy gritted. "Why did you use your fire ability? It was a Level 1 Mon! You could have easily stopped her without it!"

"Wha-" Takuya blinked in surprise. "What do you mean? Why shouldn't I? What's the point in me making a contract with Aguni if I don't get to blast fire at people every once in a while?"

"You shouldn't be relying on those things to fight! They'll swallow your Kode before you even know what hit you," Kouji snapped. He slammed the brunette back into the wall of a dilapidated building.

"All of the other Warriors are Mon users too! In fact, you're the only field agent I know who doesn't have one," Takuya said as he struggled to break free of his partner's grasp. "Why do you hate them so much anyways?"

Kouji's face darkened. "That's none of your business." He threw the gogglehead unceremoniously to the ground and stalked off.

"Awww, man. Not again. The guy needs to take a chill pill once in a while," Takuya groaned as he picked himself up. The Warrior sighed. "Now I gotta call HQ to pick her up. This really sucks!"