"No!"

The forest path cut off at a drop into the ocean. Grillby groaned, looking over at Beatrix and Bratty with their partners.

"We walked this way yesterday!"

"Bea!"

They turned, seeing another girl flying over this divide. She was riding a glowing firefly Digimon and waving.

"Oh, hey! That's Ayala! She's the newest member here."

As they got over land, the Digimon returned to a ball-like form and the girl came off. She had tan skin and dark brown hair and, as expected, a Tag and Crest. Her Digimon was a happy ball like the others in her group, but had antenna and wings.

"The land began to split as I was coming back! I think the Divide happened!"

"Divide?" Bratty asked, "What's the Divide?"

Beatrix looked to Grillby, mouthing 'we have to go back'.

...

"Ah, yes. The Divide." Thora pulled an old notebook from a shelf and sat before the four humans. "When competitive Digitale was in its infancy, a division of the land was meant to be made. It was meant to separate the young'uns from allies and enemies and cause the real competition for resources. Only those with the wit to raid or the skill to gather would survive."

Bratty looked to her Digimon with a worried look. "Then what happened?"

"Well, it was scrapped as an idea because the higher-ups thought it was too intense. However, we kept the code in the game because we planned for it to be in smaller competitions. I didn't know we had to face it. Motherboardmon must be serious."

Cattymon looked up at Thora, ears perked up in curiosity. "Motherboardmon?"

Thora sighed. "Back when we were developing the reality of the game, I was into a dashing man. Hobson. He had a loyal Digimon at his side, which became the motherboard of the world. Motherboardmon. She had to be attached to the center of the world. Every event that happened up here was at her command. Hobson had to visit her often becuase she grew lonely in her state of being."

"That is like, so sweet," Bratty commented.

"It was not to last." Thora sighed, her eyes forming tears. "One day, on the way to the office, Hobson was hit by an inattentive driver. He was taken to the hospital and died hours later. Motherboardmon never had the concept of death and the grief of losing her friend destroyed her coding. Without a partner, she had nothing. She felt betrayed. So, that's what she did. She decided to break trust in everyone, slowly losing herself to corrupted code."

Cattymon curlled up in Bratty's lap. Bratty was crying. "That's, like, so sad!"

Grillby looked to them and back to Thora. "So, she's causing this?"

"Afraid so. The only way to stop her is to have a second Motherboardmon. We programmed a Zeromon. That's the Rookie stage of Motherboardmon. Another will appear if the code senses that the Motherboard is falling to corruption. Luckily, I know where this Zeromon is."

"You do?"

Thora smiled, then turned to Beatrix.

Beatrix's eyes widened. "You don't mean."

"Valhalla Warriors own the Zeromon."

...

"ODIN STEPHANSON!"

Odin gave no response as he looked up.

"Arthur Kirkland."

A large, harpy creature was flying overhead. Upon his back was a blonde man with bushy eyebrows.

"You are assisting a rookie troop! You should know the strongest survive here!"

Bratty, Grillby, Ayala, and Beatrix gazed over the Divide as a harpy Digimon was attacking Odin and Alphys.

Oh dear. It's worse than I thought. There was a screen floating above Beatrix, allowing Thora to see what was going on. That explains why they're missing.

"Storytime!" Catty chirped from the feet of Bratty. "C'mon Phosphormon!"

Ayala's Digimon chirped and flew next to the cat Digimon.

It's not a happy one, but okay. I once sent Beatrix to the suspected lair of Motherboardmon to see what she was doing.

"It was crazy, I tell you!" Beatrix said in a hushed tone, "Humans and Digimon! Both in cages. If not in cages, they were shoving code into them to corrupt their Digivolutions!"

I looked into it myself. It seems that Motherboardmon is hypnotizing humans and Digimon to make an army to tear apart troops from the inside. Arthur Kirkland was one of these missing people.

"You mean?" Bratty looked over the Divide to see a blue Digimon helping a mermaid Digimon.

"Unisonmon there is corrupted."

Come back to Home Base. We have to set up defenses.

...

"Okay, Shields are up. Radar is on."

"We will handle any warning that'll come, yup yup!"

Viktor and Radiencemon, a green ball Digimon with yellow eyes and mouth, saluted to Thora and returned to the Forge.

"Thora!"

Beatrix ran in and saluted. "We're here!"

"Good. Send Bratty and Cattymon to the Forge with Viktor and Radiencemon. She might not be able to Digivolve yet. Grillby will join the defense with us."

"What? No way!" Bratty yelled, "This is an issue we all have to deal with!"

"Yeah!" Cattymon added, "We can help you!"

"I'm sorry, but we can't have someone fall to foolishness. You must stay behind."

BEEP! BEEP! BEEP!

Forge Security to main floor. Intruder coming from the North side.

...

Viktor's head was covered in all kinds of gear. A headset with a microphone. A visor to see into the outside. Bratty, Cattymon, and Radiencemon all watched what was going on on a screen.

...

A blonde male fell out of the forest into the shoreline of the lake. A small bat Digimon clung to his back. The boy coughed and gasped for air.

"Free... we're out..."

"Intruder!"

Nilemon was looking over at the boy with Beatrix inside her, making the call.

"You have intruded on Slimeballs territory! Turn back or be destroyed!"

The boy turned to his partner, his eyes wide. He looked back at Nilemon.

"...Largophosphormon!" A dragonfly Digimon flew over the lake Digimon.

"...Largopinkballmon!" A pink bear Digimon was beside Nilemon.

"...Largohoneymon!" A golden bee appeared.

"...Largotabbymon!" A tiger appeared.

"...Goromon!" A different Digimon. He was akin to a goat with golden hair.

Beatrix looked around. "Where's Hydromon? He's supposed to defend us!"

...

"Wait! He's innocent!" Bratty slammed the floor with her fists. "This isn't fair!"

Cattymon felt her fur stand on end.

"Viktor, what's the file of him?"

He readjusted his microphone, obviously telling the outside fighters the information. "Allen Avadonia and Battymon. Went missing with the entire Evil Chronicles Troop. Likely fallen to Motherboardmon and her tricks. Fire when ready."

Bratty's eyebrows furrowed and her teeth ground. "No! He's innocent! Hold back!"

The warm feeling came to Catty in stronger waves.

"THIS IS, LIKE, NOT JUST TO THE BOY!"

The cat Digimon burst into light.

"Cattymon, Digivolve to..." Her body grew into a more lithe form, like a cheetah. A heavy pair of wings formed as if they were made of gold. A golden mask formed around the face of the new Champion. "...Sphinxmon!"

Viktor removed his headset, his eyes wide in shock. Radiencemon hid behind his legs.

"This is not good, no no..."

Bratty was met to the gilded eyes of her partner. "Sphinxmon?"

"Yes, Sphinxmon. The Digimon once revered as a fair and honest judge has arrived to give this boy his trial."

A smile appeared on Bratty's face. "That's, like, the coolest thing I heard all day."

Viktor clapped his hands. "Then, what are you waiting for?! Get out there!"

...

"Stop the attack!"

The Digimon all turned to see a smaller, sphinx Digimon standing with Bratty on top of her.

"Cattymon?" Goromon asked in a low voice, almost in disbelief.

"Silence. I have arrived to tell the true nature of Mister Avadonia and Battymon." Sphinxmon slowly walked forward. As her paws met the lake, she didn't sink. She simply paced gracefully across the pond. As she passed, light came from the Champion Digimon, all returning to a Rookie form.

Allen clung to Battymon and looked up at Sphinxmon in fear.

"Do not be alarmed, child. Show me your hearts." The gilded eyes of the mask shined a white light. The two saw small hearts form before their chests and floated into Bratty's hands.

"Whoa. What are these?"

"They are the hearts of Allen and Battymon. Now, take these." A golden wing folded out, giving Bratty two white feathers. Sphinxmon turned to the waiting humans and Digimon. "I shall now judge them! If their hearts are lighter than the feathers, they have no corruption in heart. Let us begin. Scales of Truth!"

Her wings fired outwards, lighting up with the same white light. The golden wings morphed into a pair of scales.

"The feathers, Bratty"

Bratty placed the feathers onto one of her plates. It lowered to the ground.

"Now, the hearts."

She gently placed the hearts onto the second plate.

Everyone gasped.

They did not even move. The feathers were heavier.

"Allen Avadonia and Battymon of the former Troop, Evil Chronicles. You have been found innocent." The hearts and feathers vanished, their light returning to their chests. "Sphinxmon has spoken!" She burst into light, her form returning to the cat Digimon seen before.

Allen stood up, looking over at Bratty and Cattymon. "Thank you, thank you so much."

"But, how did you know?"

Cattymon smiled. "Easy! Their hearts were, like, lighter than feathers! Legend says if that is true, they're, like, innocent."

Beatrix walked up to them. "But what do you mean by 'former Troop'?"

Catty's smile vanished. "His Troop was disbanded because all the members went missing. I could tell from the hearts. He needs a new Troop."

Beatrix looked across the shore to Thora and her teammates. Thora smiled and nodded.

"Hey. We just got an opening for Slimeballs. How about it, Allen? Sorry for attacking you, but if Sphinxmon can tell you're innocent, so can I. Wanna be a Slimeball?"

He looked to Battymon. "Uh..."

"You were about to kill us," the bat Digimon said in a low voice, "But we'll be booted if we don't get a Troop."

Allen smiled. "We're in."

...

"Nicely done," Odin said as the land was pulled to form a solid mass. "I knew Undinemon could handle this. I thank you. Your payment will be sent to the troop base."

"It was nothing, sir!" Alphys said, looking down at Mermaidmon. "It's just a spear. We're lucky we got out alive."

Footsteps sounded and the group turned. Lo and behold, Nappy and Hapstamon came from the forest brush accompanied by a white-haired girl with her Digimon, a humanoid, red cube girl.

"Sorry I'm late. I got caught up in something."

"Nappy!" Alphys said in surprise. "You look confident. What happened? Who's that?"

"Oh, she's Sophie from Beach Gems. We began an alliance between our troops. That allies up with Solar Cresents and Hetaworld Power."

Sophie nodded. "And Valhalla Warriors and Slimeballs. We can make it far into the Finals with a strong set of allies."

"You two have been busy," Odin commented, "We just reunited the land here. You can meet Slimeballs soon."

Sophie suddenly stood at attention. "Oh dear. I forgot! I need to back to Home Base. Steven must be worried sick when I sent a distress call and never responded! I'm sorry, but I will return! Thank you for helping, Nappy." She turned and ran back into the forest. Rubimon turned and smiled.

"Hapstamon. You were awesome. I would love to fight with you again!"

"Likewise, darling."

"Rubimon!"

She waved and ran after her human partner.

"Hey, guys!"

They looked across the landmass, seeing four more humans with their partners. Grillby, Dreepamon, Bratty, and Cattymon were all familiar, but there was an African-American female with blue hair with a watery blob Digimon and a Latina female with a glowing blob Digimon.

"Grillby! Bratty!"

"We are, like, so happy to see you guys!"

Odin paced across the land to stand before the blue-haired woman. "Beatrix."

"Odin! Thora is waiting!"

Odin looked back at Alphys and Nappy. "I must go now. Please, be safe." He walked across the land bridge, passing Grillby and Bratty.

"Grillby! Bratty! Dreepamon! Cattymon! You guys are okay!"

Bratty smiled confidently, looking to her partner.

"We got, like, a lot to tell you guys. Let's go home."