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Chapter 1: SSDD

Location: Unknown

He hated them. It was the only thing he was still able to cling to.

After his last defeat at the hands of the Digidestined, Myotismon's body had been destroyed and his data scattered. All of his senses were gone, as was his ability to sense the passage of time. Only his core consciousness remained, and even that was beginning to fade. It was only by holding on to his hatred that any piece of Myotismon still existed. He knew vengeance would be his if he could just reconstitute himself one more time.

This one could suit our purposes.

Myotismon did not hear the voice so much as he felt it, pushing its message into his mind. He collected himself and pushed back. Who are you?

The presence "spoke" again. You possess knowledge that is required. It did not seem the message was meant to threaten or intimidate. Everything the presence conveyed felt like a statement of fact.

I do not understand.

The presence pushed again. A simple sentient could never comprehend our reasoning. Your cooperation is required. Please do not resist.

Myotismon felt the presence begin to surround him. He panicked. It felt like he was being absorbed. Then it became clear what was happening. Had he still possessed a mouth, he would have smiled. Myotismon was becoming whole once again.

Universe 104: The Digital World- File Island

Gatomon's ear twitched. The feline digimon had situated herself atop a large tree to separate herself from the others in the forest below. It had been quiet up until the rustling of the leaves had disturbed her. Regaining her bearings, Gatomon stood upright upon realizing it was the wind that had disturbed her.

What Gatomon wanted to do was go back to sleep, but she knew better. The wind left her feeling cold on the inside. Something bad was about to happen. The wind began to become more violent, and Gatomon knew her course of action had been decided. The torrent was leading somewhere and she had to follow it.

Leaping from branch to branch, Gatomon made her way through the forest. Above and below her, other digimon fled in the opposite direction. Another sign that something big was coming.

Gatomon wished that Kari were with her. Having her human partner with her would, at the very least, have meant she would not face this new threat alone. Recent events in the Real World had led to the "chosen" digimon to return to their own world for a time. If the evil energy massing outside the forest had any positive side effect, it would be Gatomon reuniting with Kari sooner rather than later. No single digimon on their own would be able to win this battle.

Gatomon made it to the edge of the forest, which ended on a cliff overlooking a large valley. The "wind" she had been following coalesced high above the center of the valley. As of that second, it formed a massive crimson sphere. It reminded Gatomon of the inside of a lava lamp.

As Gatomon stood there trying to decide what her next action would be, two more digimon emerged from the forest and joined her. The first, Patamon, landed on the branch she was standing on. The second, Agumon, stood at the base of the tree a few meters below them.

"Fancy meeting you guys here," Agumon called up to them.

Patamon sighed. "You'd think we could go one Saturday morning without the forces of evil conspiring against us." He looked over to Gatomon, who nodded in reply. Patamon could obviously sense the darkness coming from the sphere as well.

"Do we know this thing is evil?" Agumon asked. "Maybe it's just hungry. I know I can get grouchy when I skip breakfast."

Agumon's partner, Tai, was Kari's older brother, which almost made Gatomon and Agumon siblings as well. Gatomon was used to Agumon's optimism, and often wished he were right about situations like this. Over the years, they had fought a number digimon only because of misunderstandings. Gatomon knew this would not be the case with the sphere.

"No, that thing is evil," Gatomon said after a pause. "I can feel it. We need to start getting ready for what's coming."

"Where should we start?" Patamon asked. The little digimon was smiling. Despite what he was sensing, he wasn't scared. Gatomon often envied him. Patamon had once died fighting an evil digimon, which meant he was always prepared for the worst.

"Let's start getting everyone together," Agumon suggested. He didn't seem to have any misgivings about the situation either. "No sense wasting time."

"And let's get a message to the Real World as soon as possible," Gatomon added. "A bunch of rookie-level digimon aren't going to able to do much on their own."

Agumon and Patamon nodded and set off. Before she did the same, Gatomon looked up at the sphere one more time. She wished she could be as confident as her friends, but something at the center of that sphere was screaming at her. Kari couldn't get there fast enough.

Universe 450: The Real World- Shibuya Terminal

Koji apologized as he pushed through a small crowd. He was more than a little frustrated at the lack of instructions he had received that morning. "ARRIVE AT THE SHIBUYA TERMINAL BY NOON. YOUR DESTINY AWAITS," the text message had read. It had come from a blocked number, but Koji had a feeling Takuya was the one who had sent it. He would have ignored message completely if a similar message hadn't once led to him saving a whole other world.

Koji's train of thought was interrupted when someone grabbed him from behind and pulled him aside. Koji turned round only to find himself face-to-face with his twin brother, Koichi.

"Are you trying to scare me to death?" Koji asked while trying to collect himself.

A warm smile appeared on Koichi's face. "'To death?' Good thing Lucemon didn't know you were so easily startled. The whole world might have paid the price."

"Very funny," Koji replied. As he spoke, he finally realized that Tommy was standing beside Koichi. The 9-year-old looked up at him, grinning.

"You walked right by us," Tommy explained. "We tried calling out to you, but you seemed pretty zoned out."

Koji didn't reply. Had he really been that lost in thought? Koji pushed the question to the back of his mind. He hadn't come to discuss his personal issues.

A voice came from behind Koji and broke the silence. "Of all the no good kids I could run into today. I guess that's just my luck." Koji instantly recognized the voice. He turned around again and saw J.P. walking towards them.

"Yeah, we're like trouble magnets," Tommy replied. He ran over to the older kid and greeted him with a high-five.

"Have I missed anything yet?" J.P. asked.

"Just Koji brooding," Koichi answered. Koji looked away from his twin, trying to ignore the jab. "We actually just got here."

"Some things never change, I guess." J.P. laid a hand on Koji's shoulder before pushing past him to greet Koichi.

"Well, what are the chances?" a fifth voice chimed in. The voice belonged to Zoe, who immediately ran over to join the group. J.P. and Tommy's faces both lit up upon seeing her. She continued, "I get a mysterious text message saying it's my destiny to be here today, and find all you guys here."

"Chances are pretty high if we were all called here on purpose," Koichi replied.

"And, still, one of us is conveniently missing," Koji added, rolling his eyes. He was now positive Takuya was behind this. Only he could plan something like this and fail to show up himself.

Then, almost on que, Takuya came running over to them. He was out of breathe as he spoke, "C'mon Koji, you know the hero has to make a dramatic entrance."

Zoe raised an eyebrow and calmly asked, "You missed your train, didn't you?"

"Just…shut up."

Koichi, Tommy and J.P. all laughed. It was Koichi who stopped first to ask, "So why the text messages?"

"Because I was worried some people would find an excuse to not show up." Takuya eyed Koji as he spoke. So, this was for his benefit.

"Well, some of us may have had more important things to today," Koji replied, irritated.

"Name one thing you had to do today that was more important than this." Takuya was becoming irritated as well. "If something's bothering you, you don't have to hide it. We're your friends. You can talk to us, buddy."

"Just drop it Takuya," Koji responded. He didn't share his feelings if he didn't have to. That was just how he was built. Besides, Koji wasn't even sure there was anything to talk about. He had been off lately, and wasn't sure why.

Of course, Takuya knowing that something was bothering him wasn't a lucky guess. During the final fight with Lucemon, the two of them came together to form Susanoomon. The combination turned out to be one of body and soul. The only way they had been able to win that fight was accepting the "mind-meld" that came with it. After that, Takuya and Koji probably knew each other better than either cared to admit. Tommy, Zoe, and J.P. had been part of Susanoomon the second time around, but Koji was confident that the extra minds actually made it more difficult to discern individual thoughts. The reactions of their friends seemed to confirm this theory.

"What's gotten into you two?" Zoe asked.

"I'm ready to share when Koji is," Takuya declared. He hadn't taken his eyes off Koji, his face now more serious.

Before Koji could respond, his cellphone started buzzing. He soon realized that everyone else's was following in kind.

"What'd you do now, Takuya?" Zoe asked.

"It's not me. I swear," Takuya stated. He pulled out his own phone and presented it to his friends. The message he had received simply read "HELP."

Universe 351: The Real World- Shinjuku Park

Takato brought his head up from his notebook to inspect the scene a few steps below. He and the rest of his friends had gathered at Guilmon's old hideout. This had become a tradition since the defeat of the D-Reaper two years ago. After the activation of the Juggernaut program, their digimon could no longer remain in the Real World for extended periods of time. Not long after that event, a portal linking the two worlds had appeared underneath the shed Guilmon used as a house. The Tamers would meet at the site whenever the digimon sent word they were returning to the Real World.

Below Takato, most of the others were gathered around Suzie and Kazu, who were playing the Digimon Trading Card Game. Suzie smiled and slapped a card down on the mat. "Gotcha!" she declared.

"No way…" Kazu wasn't feigning a defeat for Suzie's sake. Takato knew she had genuinely beaten him. "This can't be happening."

"How the mighty have fallen," Kenta laughed.

"Laugh it up, chumley," Kazu replied. "I'd like to see you beat her."

"Don't be such a sore loser," Jeri added. She had given up on resisting laughing as well. She turned her attention to Suzie. "How'd you learn to play like that?"

"I had a good teacher," the nine-year-old beamed.

Jeri looked to Henry, Suzie's older brother, who was standing beside her. He shrugged and replied, "Don't look at me."

"It was Ryo," Suzie stated.

Jeri, Kazu, and Kenta all looked over to Ryo, who scratched the back of his head. "I just gave her a few tips," he said.

"Are you kidding?" Suzie asked, jumping to her feet. "I probably wouldn't even know how to play if it weren't for you."

As Suzie continued to gush, Henry made his way up to Takato. "I guess Ryo has another fan," he said. Takato could tell Henry was a bit jealous. Henry had always been overprotective when it came to Suzie. Takato knew that meant it was only a matter of time before Suzie gravitated toward someone who treated her more like one of team.

"Better watch out, Henry," teased Rika, who was sitting a single step above Takato. "Mrs. Suzie Akiyama has a nice ring to it."

"Really? You think so?" Takato asked.

Rika's smile faded and she raised an eyebrow at him. "What's that supposed to mean?" she asked, obviously trying to keep her cool.

"I-I, uh… well…" Takato felt the back of his neck start to heat up. He knew he needed to defuse the situation before she actually got angry. He held up his notebook, showing Rika the picture of the group he had been drawing. "What do you think?"

"I guess you have to be good at something, Goggle-head," Rika replied.

Takato realized he had been holding his breath and exhaled. He looked to Henry for approval, who simply replied, "Smooth…"

Takato turned back to Rika, who had turned her attention towards the old shed. They had been waiting for the digimon longer than usual. They never had an exact time table in the past, but something in the back of his mind told Takato there was something else going on. "You're worried too?" he asked Rika. She nodded in reply.

"I just can't shake this feeling that something else is going on today," Henry said. He seemed to be having an internal debate as to what to do about it.

"We could always use the portal ourselves and go check on them," Takato suggested.

"I don't know…"

"What's there to know?" Suzie chimed in. Her and the others had cleaned up their trading cards and made their way over to the three of them. "If Lopmon and the others are in trouble, we have to go help them."

"I know I'd feel a lot better if I knew they were okay," Rika stated.

"Now, wait a second…" Henry stared before being interrupted.

"Henry, if you tell me it's not safe I'm going to kick you in the shin," Suzie declared. She pushed past her brother and made her way to the shed. "Let's get going!"

"I guess it's unanimous," Takato said looking to Henry, who shook his head and followed his sister.

"It's funny," Jeri said, leading the other boys up the steps. "I see Henry's sister but all I hear is a little version of Rika."

"Laugh it up, Katou," Rika called after her. Rika looked back at Takato as she moved up the stairs. "C'mon. We don't want them getting in over their heads."

Takato smiled back at her before following. They would beat whatever waited for them beyond the portal the same way they always had: together.

Universe 104: The Real World- High School Computer Lab

"That's…not prodigious," Izzy immediately sat down at the computer and started typing. The digiport was refusing to open, and they did not have time for this particular problem. It hadn't taken long for the Digidestined to get together once they had gotten word of the escalating situation in the Digital World. That should have been a clear sign that something else would end up impeding their progress, or at least that was how Izzy felt.

"It looks like an extra layer of encryption has been added," Ken said while reading a diagnostic window that appeared on screen. He and Yolei were standing over Izzy's shoulders.

"Is it even possible for someone to do that?" Yolei asked while adjusting her glasses.

"It shouldn't be," Izzy answered, leaning closer to the screen. It was then that another person pushed herself in between him and Yolei to a better view of the screen.

"So…what are we gonna do about it?" Mimi asked.

"Mimi, get out of the way! I can't see!" Izzy barked. Normally, he liked humoring his friends with technical information they wouldn't understand, but right then wasn't the right time.

"Relax! I was just trying to see if there was a way I could help."

"If you think you can decrypt the digiport, by all means," Izzy said while gesturing towards the computer, "Go right ahead." He immediately regretted what he had said. They were all a bit on edge.

Mimi glared down at him, not saying anything for a few seconds. "Watch it, Izumi," she said ominously, causing Izzy shrink in his seat a bit.

It was Joe who ended up coming to his rescue. "Let's give them space to work, Mimi," he suggested, leading her over to the window where Tai, Matt, and Sora were standing.

Izzy let out a sigh of relief and turned back to Yolei. "Would you mind letting me borrow your D3 for a second?" he asked.

"Sure." She handed him the device. "What for?"

Izzy pulled a cord out of his bag and used it to connect the digivice to the computer. "I don't think the locking of the digiport was intentional. Just a side effect of the disturbance on the other side. I should be able to use the D3 to force our way through."

"Awesome," Davis called out. He was sitting backwards on a chair behind Izzy's computer. "Let's get this underway. I hate being in school on a Saturday."

Davis looked to T.K. and Kari, who were standing to his right. The former shook his head and responded, "Seriously? We get a message saying the entire Digital World might be coming apart and that's what you're worried about?"

"At least we can say he's consistent," Cody chimed in. The youngest Digidestined sat in a chair to Davis's left. As per usual, he had been the quietest since they arrived.

"See!" Davis looked triumphantly back at T.K. "Cody gets me."

"I didn't say that."

Their argument was interrupted by a familiar chime. "Now that's prodigious!" Izzy called out. "The port's open. I say we move through before it changes its mind."

"No sense wasting time, then," Tai announced. He led the others over to the computer, and Izzy couldn't help but grin. He stood up from the desk and allowed Tai to lead the way. "Let's go save the world again."

Universe 351: The Digital World- Domain of the Sovereign

Calumon looked up at the four digimon that towered over him and his friends. The Sovereign had abducted them via datastream, but hadn't spoken directly to them since they arrived. Azulongmon and Zhuqiaomon were arguing about something, with occasional comments from the other two whose names Calumon always forgot.

Calumon looked to his friends to see if they could give him a que about how to act. Guilmon was sitting on the ground and, if Calumon's guess was correct, worrying about not being able to get back to Takato on time. Terriermon, on the other hand, didn't seem to care about where they were. He slowly moved around the group, almost like he was walking on an imaginary tightrope. Guardromon and MarineAngemon were chatting away, or at least the former was talking while the latter gave brief responses. Cyberdramon stood looking away the Sovereign, grouchy as ever. Only Renamon and Lopmon stood completely at attention.

Calumon's train of thought was interrupted when Impmon walked past for what felt like the millionth time. He was walking back and forth, muttering to himself.

"What's wrong?" Calumon finally asked.

"I'll tell ya what's wrong," Impmon shot back. "Those four think that, just because they're digigods, they can just abduct us while we're in the middle of somethin'. Sheesh, the nerve of some people." Calumon knew that Impmon didn't trust the Sovereign, and Zhuqiaomon in particular. The phoenix digimon had once convinced him to try and kill all of his friends, and Impmon would probably never get over it completely.

"We are ready to begin if you all are," Azulongmon's voice boomed above them. Everyone but Terriermon stopped what they were doing to face him. "It would seem that a situation has developed, and we require your assistance in dealing with it."

"Let me guess," Terriermon interrupted, still not looking up from what he was doing. "You guys made a mess, and you need us to clean it up for you."

"Insolent whelp," Zhuqiaomon snapped. He looked to Azulongmon with anger that made Calumon nervous. "I knew we should have sought others to help us deal with the Chaos."

Terriermon fell over after hearing the last word. It was Renamon that finally broke the silence to ask the question that was on everyone was afraid to vocalize. "Are you suggesting…" she began.

"We are stating that the Chaos, the program you refer to as 'D-Reaper', has resurfaced."

"No. No. No!" Terriermon called out while getting to his feet. He addressed the Sovereign directly. "We killed that thing!"

"Perhaps Zhuqiaomon misspeaks," Azulongmon interjected. "You destroyed the D-Reaper of this universe, but each parallel reality that has developed its own Digital World also possesses an accompanying program like the D-Reaper."

"My head's starting to hurt," Guilmon said while scratching the back of his head. Calumon felt the same way. He wasn't really sure what the Sovereign was suggesting.

"There exist countless realities both similar to and different from this one. A D-Reaper program has evolved to point where it can travel between these realities, an ability we Sovereign share. We believe it has set its sights on this universe and two others."

"Why come ta us wit dis?" Impmon asked.

"Because we have no other options," Azulongmon replied. "Our forces are still in dismay from the battle two years ago. As of right now, you are the strongest warriors this universe has to offer."

"I'm flattered," Terriermon called out, apparently talking to Zhuqiaomon in particular.

Renamon came up to the side of the rabbit digimon, tapping him on the head as though she were suggesting he be quiet. "We will require allies," she said politely.

"Ah, yes…the humans," Zhuqiaomon responded, almost insulted. "We are working on procuring them for you now."

"In the meantime, make haste," Azulongmon added. A portal opened up in front of them, crackling with white energy.

"Okay!" Guilmon leapt to his feet. "We're coming Takato!"

"Yeah!" Calumon cried out, leaping atop Guilmon's head. "Let's go!"

As the nine digimon charged into the portal, Calumon heard Azulongmon call out to them one more time. "The fate of all our worlds rest in your hands."

To anyone who's made it this far, thanks for taking the time. I'll try to make this as painless as possible. I haven't written any stories in prose format in close to four years, so this should be a fun experiment. I know the premise here is kind of made of wet toilet paper, but I'm here more for the character interactions and a couple fight scenes that seemed cool in my head. Besides, it makes this story feel like a collaboration with my 8-year-old self.

Also, in case it wasn't obvious, no Data Squad/Savers or Fusions/Xros Wars in this fic. Adding two sets of characters that I don't know that well won't make this more enjoyable for anyone. I'll be sticking with the four seasons of the show I grew up with.