Okay, first, I'd like to apologize for taking so long with this chapter. I honestly forgot I had it finished, and it has been so for quite awhile. I was just too preoccupied with trying to make it turn out as good as possible that I eventually forgot it had been finished.

Second, there are some original digimon in this chapter. Their full details will be explained at the end of the chapter. I hadn't wanted to make any original digimon, but unfortunately, nothing else seemed to fit, cause Ogremon didn't have any good digivolutions. Hopefully this won't become a regular thing.

Now! On with the story.

~Chapter 10~

Tai was feeling good about himself. He felt he had made a good decision splitting the group up. Sure they might be weaker being so divided, but not only did mean more chances for survival, but it was also more chances for each of them to get stronger. With less digimon, their partners would have to work much harder to pick up the slack.

Especially Tai's own team.

Matt's team had T.K which meant Angemon. And Naruto's team naturally had Naruto which meant Devimon. Two digimon who had already proven capable of matching an ultimate in combat, or at least capable of holding it off. Working together with each other, they had even defeated one. Tai's team had none of that, but made up for it with a single extra team member.

Unfortunately, Ino wasn't nearly as strong in combat as her other ninja allies, which meant the other teams had one extra fighter, and one less person to protect then they did.

He looked behind him to see Joe barely two feet behind him. Sora and Ino were talking girl talk ten feet behind him.

Looking ahead, he smiled. "Hey, everyone, a village isn't too far from here. Let's check it out, kay?"

Sora and Ino ran to catch up, while Joe sighed in relief.

"Oh, c'mon Joe, don't be such a downer. A good walk means good exercise. You should be thankful." Gomamon pointed out.

Joe grumbled.

They would be seen easily, and he was worried. They had exited the forest almost two hours ago, and were now in a large open field, full of very short grass. To the north, and not too far away, was a few small rocky mountains, perfect for any flying hostile digimon to take them down.

The village they were going to looked prepared for combat, and that meant they were hostile, or there was something else hostile that regularly attacked.

He didn't voice his observations because the rest had either already noticed it, or would tell him he was being too paranoid again.

As the group of four humans and four digimon entered the village they were surrounded suddenly by Leomon, Liamon, and even a few Leormon

"What do you want with us?" another voice asked. The owner emerged from the crowd. It looked like Leomon, only with a black trench coat and a x shaped scar on his chest. He also had a hat and white hair. From his mouth sat a twig.

A second glance for Joe and Ino, at his nearly hidden hand, revealed a blade already drawn. Ino discreetly drew a kunai, while Joe gulped in fear.

"That's a BanchoLeomon." Agumon warned. "He's a mega level digimon who just so happens to be one of the strongest and fastest digimon in the world. Don't make him think your evil, or he'll eliminate you, no matter how much good you might actually be doing."

"Hmph. Just because many of my kind keep to their nature, doesn't mean I do. I've learned that sometimes, bad things must be done to keep to the greater good." BanchoLeomon stated. "Now, I ask again, why are you here?"

"Just came upon this place to be honest." Tai told him. "Didn't know where we were, but we saw a village and decided we might as well check it out."

"...You are... a human?" the lion man asked, receiving a nod from four individuals. "You best leave. I do not engage in battle with those who do not threaten my village, and there is an ultimate digimon called Myotismon looking out for human children in the area. If he catches wind of you, you may have to fight. He hasn't come here yet, in fear of me, but it's only a matter of time, but if he doesn't attack my people, or my village, I will not attack him."

"Well, would it be alright if we stocked up on water and supplies here?" Ino asked. "We're running a little low on water, and we should refill our food supply whenever we can."

"Very well." the man-beast nodded. "But if anyone comes looking for you, I will not endanger my people here by bringing the might of Myotismon upon them. He may be nothing to me, but he is a powerful ultimate, who would have no problems eliminating those in my village. He might die in the process, because of myself, but there would be casualties, and I will not lose my own people for humans, no matter how important you are."

Joe gulped again. "That seems fair. After all, you don't know us."

Sora huffed and crossed her arms. She thought it wasn't fair that they wouldn't help, but what exactly could she do about it?

Before they did anything, a Leomon riding on the back of a Liamon, like a horse and rider, came into town.

The Leomon called out to BanchoLeomon. "Master! They're attacking again!"

BanchoLeomon sighed. "So soon? If this keeps up, I may have to go and fight them myself."

"Sorry sir, but there is little we can do individually, and they do outnumber us." the Liamon said.

"Not to interrupt, but what's going on? Maybe we can help?" Tai questioned.

Outwardly it looked like he was doing as he always did, looking to help and do good. Inwardly, he had realized if they could do something for them, they might get a shoe-in to have allies on their side. And a mega level would be one hell of an ally.

BanchoLeomon looked at him for a second. "Very well. We're being plagued by our enemy clan in the mountains. A large group of Ogremon and their evolution lines, including Goburimon, Trollamon(1), and even a single of their mega form, Gigantemon(2). We don't have their numbers, though we do have more power. But numbers can overwhelm easily enough. Worse, I've heard their mega form is equal in power to myself. The good thing is that, not only is our line stronger and faster then theirs, but we have two evolution lines to work with, which means more variety. The downside is that they have more then double our numbers."

"How many do you have?" Agumon asked.

BanchoLeomon sighed. "A little under 100 total, mostly champions and rookies. They have about 200 of the same, but they also have a few ultimates, where as ours were almost all killed in their first and second attacks, being the clear targets of the attack. Of course these numbers are rounded off to the nearest ten.

"Well, we have 4 champions ourselves. We'll help you beat them back." Tai said. "We fought against an Ogremon once before so we know their basic strategies."

"An? As in just one?" BanchoLeomon wondered.

"Uh, yea?"

"Must be their former leader. Our former leader left around the same time, and ever since we've been at serious odds. Before it was just our leaders who fought. Now it's all of us." BanchoLeomon revealed. "Our leaders may have not been the strongest out of all of us, but they were the most intelligent, and most cunning. Anyways, your welcome to help. We'd appreciate it."

Tai grinned.

Within the hour, Sora and Biyomon were perched on top of the highest building, preparing to take to the skies, while Ino and Floramon waited patiently next to her.

Once the battle started Sunflowmon would begin taking out the enemy from a distance. Ino's expertise lied in gathering intelligence, and her jutsu wouldn't work here, so she had resorted to setting up traps for the Ogremon.

Joe was sitting on Ikkakumon just below them, ready to fire off his Harpoon Torpedoes.

Next to the Leomon and Liamon ready to attack the Ogremon head on was Tai sitting on Greymon's head.

"Ready for this buddy?" Tai asked.

"I was born ready, Tai." Greymon growled. In the distance he spotted their pray. "Here they come."

At his words, the Leomon dropped into defensive stances, while the Liamon bent low and began growling.

Within minutes the Ogremon and their evolution lines were upon them.

Something seemed wrong however. "Somethings wrong Greymon."

"I know, but there isn't anything we can do about it" Greymon agreed. "Nova Blast!"

The attack took out two Ogremon jumping Greymon.

The lion-like digimon seeing this roared in approval, seemingly losing all sense of reason, and reverting to battle instinct, they attacked ferociously, and met the Ogremon head on attacking just as mindlessly as the Ogremon.

"They're... so mindless." Tai noticed. Ikkakumon's attack exploded somewhere to their left taking out a few Ogremon.

"Meteor Wing!" Birdramon screeched from the air.

"Greymon, push them back." Tai called out.

"You got it Tai!" Greymon nodded. "Nova Flame!"

This time, instead of a ball of fire, he let loose a fiery torrent, that continued until he needed to catch his breath. The attack had wiped out a large group of Ogremon

A blast of solar energy took out a group to his right, while meteor like fire balls crashed into a small squad of Ogremon in the distance. Sora was attacking those who had yet to show up to the fight, to weaken their reinforcements.

With the addition of the well trained partners of the Digidestined, the lion digimon were winning.

Unfortunately, it wasn't to last. A large club went sailing into Birdramon, and the bird sent spiraling down backwards into the Leomon, before dedigivolving.

"Sora!" Tai cried, jumping off his partner to go check on his best friend.

It wasn't the best decision, but Greymon had instantly protected him, by eating the Goburimon that suddenly attacked him.

"Be careful Tai."

Shortly, the latest reinforcement for the Ogremon and far few Goburimon showed up. 4 Trollamon showed up. Likely all the ultimate levels they had.

"Oh crap." Tai muttered. "They must be what took down Sora and Birdramon."

He quickly bent down to check on Sora. Before he could check her pulse though she sat up. "Oh, my head."

"Hey, good to see your alright."

Sora grinned weakly. "Yea. Be careful Tai, that attack that thing used is strong and fast."

"Greymon can take more damage then Birdramon cause he's more bulky, I think we can take one on ourselves, if we get lucky. With some of the Leomon and Liamon, we should manage to take them all down." Tai told her. "Greymon, ready?"

"I told you earlier." Greymon said in his growl like voice, with a hint of amusement.

Sora sighed, picking up Biyomon, and preparing to get out of the battle zone. "Just be careful, alright?"

"Yea, you too." Tai told her.

"Then let's go, Tai." Greymon said, and began moving.

Tai ran alongside Greymon this time, instead of on his head. He turned to a group of Leomon and Liamon. "You lot, follow us. Leave the rest of these small fry to the others."

Rushing ahead, Tai led the group straight towards the tall, lumbering, and brutish troll digimon.

"Greymon! The one on the left, the rest of you, take the others and use teamwork to defeat them. There isn't any honour in a pointless death."

The troll digimon would have none of that however, and moved to converge on Greymon.

Greymon caught two clubs and received two more to his gut for his efforts. The Leomon had jumped on all the Trollamon and were doing the best they could to cut into their skin, while the Liamon were trying to trip them by biting and clawing their ankles.

Two of the Trollamon fell, and the Leomon and Liamon abandoned the two still standing to viciously tear into them, leaving Greymon to deal with two at once.

'Crap. I don't think he can handle two.' Tai thought worriedly.

He stayed back as Greymon forced them off of him, and sent a Nova Blast into ones face, but was rewarded with Trollamon's Sure Hit Club.

"Greymon..." Tai swallowed worriedly. "C'mon buddy, you can do it! Just hold on long enough for the others to finish those two, and we'll be fine."

"Gotcha, Tai." Greymon grunted. "Great Antler!"

The attack pushed the two ultimate's back, but they held their ground and raised their clubs. Tai's eyes widened.

"GREYMON! Get out of there!" Tai shouted.

Greymon stood back up and moved to go backwards, but he wasn't fast enough. The two clubs came down fast and hard, and Greymon met the dirt.

"Greymon!" Tai screamed, running forward.

Behind him, the rest of the Leomon, and Liamon, including the Leormon, who had been forbidden from fighting until they digivolved came running. Sora, Joe, and Ino were amongst them, along with Biyomon, Sunflowmon, and Ikkakumon.

"Tai!" the humans screamed when they saw him rush towards Greymon.

Greymon's eyes opened and he spotted Tai rushing to do something to help him. His eyes flicked upwards and he saw another club coming for him, and one going for Tai.

Everything froze for him. Tai was his best friend. His first friend, and the one who took care of him when he was defenceless. He was the one who literally gave him the power to fight, and grow stronger. He couldn't allow anything to harm Tai.

And then it felt like a dam had burst. "Greymon digivolve to..." He felt his arm painfully disappear, and then painfully reconnect, only it was made of metal. He felt parts of his lungs disappear and then he felt like there was an infinite supply of missiles in their place, while two chest pieces of metal appeared over the places where his lungs had vanished. He felt more of his body become replaced with machinery, and he felt his bone helmet get forcefully replaced with a metal one, and suddenly wings sprouted from his back, and hair grew down his neck. And then, he knew he had a new name, and he knew what it was. "MetalGreymon!"

The sudden digivolution forced the Trollamon backwards. MetalGreymon noticed he had also grown to triple his original size.

"Take this, Giga Blaster!" he shouted, as his chest pieces opened up, and two missiles launched towards the much smaller Trollamon. The explosion could be seen, for miles, and everyone in the vicinity, felt the wind kick up as the shock wave forced them to guard themselves from debris.

"MetalGreymon?" Tai asked.

The massive mecha-dinosaur looked at him.

"You are awesome!" Tai yelled.

MetalGreymon somehow smirked. "Damn straight."

And then BanchoLeomon was on sight.

"Get down." He ordered.

Everyone listened, but MetalGreymon was simply too large, and he was hit by a sudden fist as a massive monster just as big as he was landed in front of him.

That single attack sent MetalGreymon flying back towards the village. He managed to right himself at the last second, and flew just outside the village, before landing, and kneeling in pain.

"It's Gigantemon. Massive giant, and very powerful. Not normally very fast, but with his strength, he can jump far enough that, from the mountain, he was able to land all the way over here. His presence turns most into little more then mindless beasts." BanchoLeomon told them. "I'll deal with things from here. All of you, go back to the village."

Before any could listen BanchoLeomon was forced to meet Gigantemon's attack. The force of which kicked up a gust of wind that forced the everyone in the vicinity to be launched towards the Leomon Village.

Grunting at the impact, Tai forced himself to his feet as fast as he could. He was the last one to his feet he found, when he finally managed it. Several Leomon and Liamon nearby groaned for a second before bursting into data, revealing that they had been impaled upon the tree branches. For the most part however, everyone else was alright.

"Tai we have to get out of here." Joe shouted.

Tai ignored him. BanchoLeomon was faster, but Gigantemon was stronger, and the few hits the monstrous digimon did make on the tiny mega were showing as BanchoLeomon began slowing down enough to be visible to the naked eye.

"MetalGreymon! BanchoLeomon needs help." Tai screamed.

Despite the distance, MetalGreymon heard him. "I'm on it, Tai."

Flying fast, despite his size, MetalGreymon was soon past them, and holding some distance, before launching a Giga Blaster towards Gigantemon.

"Tai, tell MetalGreymon to stand down." Joe demanded. "We have to get out of here. BanchoLeomon won't last for much longer, and we don't stand a chance against a mega level. We have to run."

"Joe's right, Tai." Sora agreed, urging him to listen to reason.

"No way. They're fighting this, and we should too." Tai disagreed, spurred on by the courage running through him.

"Are you an idiot?" Ino asked, completely surprised at how stupid he was being. "We're in a losing fight. Do you think it's honourable or something to die a needless death?"

"I can't back down." Tai shouted. "MetalGreymon can help him. If we can help defeat a mega, it'll only make us that much stronger."

With that, Tai ran towards MetalGreymon, feeding him even more energy unconsciously.

Joe cursed. "Fucking idiot."

Ino and Sora were completely shocked. Joe didn't swear. It just wasn't Joe.

"J-Joe?" The girls asked surprised.

"Sorry." Joe apologized, embarrassed at his outburst. "It's just, that idiot could try the patience of a rock. Ikkakumon, let's go. I'm the oldest one here so I'm responsible for him."

"Gotcha, Joe." Ikkakumon nodded, following after Joe.

Sora and Ino stood there looking a little lost.

"Ino... what do we do?" Sora wondered.

"Well, helping would be pointless, I doubt our attacks would even phase a mega." Ino pointed out.

"But we can swoop in and get them out of there if things go sour." Biyomon pointed out. Her speed as Birdramon was exceptional, and despite Gigantemon being a mega, he likely wasn't fast enough to catch a flying bird.

Besides, she had mostly healed from her previous injury, and could at least get them out of there.

~With Tai~

"Go, MetalGreymon!" Tai shouted again from the forest floor as MetalGreymon took another punch and was forced to crash.

"Guh... Tai, he's so strong." MetalGreymon sounded like he was crying.

The idea of something as strong and as huge as MetalGreymon crying was almost impossible to imagine. Especially so since he was half machine now.

"We can't leave BanchoLeomon to die!" Tai shouted. "I know it hurts, but try to hold on a little longer!"

"Alright, Tai." MetalGreymon choked, forcing himself to his feet. He had broken his wings in that last fall, so he wouldn't be flying again for this battle.

Tai was so focused he didn't even see the attack aimed at him. He heard it when it hit flesh however, though he was on the ground when it happened. "What the... Joe!?"

Joe was on the ground behind him clutching his arm. Above him was an Ogremon.

"Harpoon Torpedo!" Ikkakumon shouted, and destroyed the Ogremon that was about to take a second swing.

"Joe... why?" Tai wondered.

"Hey... I'm responsible for all of you." He said, wincing. "I can't just let you get hurt."

"Tai! Watch out." MetalGreymon warned, having managed to dodge a swing from the Mega.

Gigantemon's club was dragging through the dirt towards them.

Joe got up and pushed the shocked Tai out of the way. He was only barely able to push him far enough out of the path of the club.

Ikkakumon's eyes widened. "JOE!"

Ikkakumon was so completely focused on Joe's safety he hadn't even realized when he had suddenly gained arms and legs. All he knew was that he was moving faster, and that he was able to cover Joe, and have his suddenly shelled back take most of the hit.

When he stopped rolling along the ground, he finally realized he had digivolved. A hard spiked shell, a chrome digizoid hammer, and looked a lot more menacing then he ever could have as Ikkakumon.

"Heh, now I'm Zudomon!" Zudomon roared.

"Zudomon?" Joe wondered as he watched the massive sea monster get to his feet.

Zudomon grinned. "Don't worry, Joe. With MetalGreymon, BanchoLeomon and myself, we should be more then enough to take this mon down."

"Alright, just be careful." Joe warned him. "I'll take Tai further from the battle."

Joe got up, and was reminded of his arm when pain shot through his body. It was probably broken. He was lucky he wasn't deleted himself.

Zudomon nodded, and took off, moving much faster then either of his previous forms were capable of.

"MetalGreymon, use your arm! It's made of Chrome Digizoid, just like my hammer. Like to see his skin stop that!" Zudomon shouted as he passed by the mecha dinosaur. Raising his hammer to meet the mega's club, it proved why wood, no matter that it was made from the tree of yggdrasil, against the strongest of all metals, would lose every time. "Thor's Hammer!"

Hammer met wood, and wood splintered and broke. Gigantemon roared in disapproval. "Die!" Instead he used his fist. "God's Fist!"

"Trident Arm!" MetalGreymon shouted as he stabbed his Chrome Digizoid arm into the arm of the mega level. Flesh yielded to metal and MetalGreymon barely managed to push the arm enough to make the punch miss Zudomon. "BanchoLeomon, take him down."

A tired and injured BanchoLeomon nodded. "Right."

He leaned back on one foot, eyes closed, his other foot well ahead of him resting on it's heel. His sword was drawn level with his body. He shrugged off his coat and spat out his piece of grass. "Lion King's Slash."

His mumbled words were somehow heard easily by everyone. His body vanished, and his hat began falling to the ground.

Unfortunately, nothing happened as Gigantemon, still had one other arm, which he caught the man-beast in. How he had managed to do so was a mystery to all, even the Gigantemon. Tai personally decided that this Gigantemon had somehow one the jackpot, and instead of winning money, he won one chance to save his life.

"Hah! Gigantemon caught you. Now he squeeze you till you deleted!" Gigantemon began laughing.

BanchoLeomon screamed in pain, before yelling out his last orders. "My Lions! Flee. Flee this land and start anew elsewhere."

That was all he got out before he turned into data.

MetalGreymon and Zudomon swallowed loudly. The next thing they knew, they were in their in-training forms. Gigantemon had swung another God's Fist at them, and hit both of them with a single punch.

"Koromon!" Tai said worriedly as he picked up the tiny digimon. He felt all excess courage leave him, making him realize how stupid he had been to return to battle when he should have left.

Joe picked his own partner up in one arm, he himself feeling his sense of responsibility for saving the Leomon vanish. Instead he only wanted to get himself, and his friends out of there. "I'm here Bukamon."

A voice alerted them. "Tai! Joe! Grab on." Sora yelled, reaching a hand down for Tai, while Ino leaned off the other leg of Birdramon with her own legs, to grab the injured Joe and Bukamon.

Once they were on Birdramon's legs, and out of the small clearing they had been in Gigantemon's fist impacted the clearing.

"Fly faster Birdramon!" Sora shouted.

Birdramon screeched in acknowledgement. It was all they could do to escape. They had tried, but they had failed. Their only compensation was injury and the knowledge that they had two Ultimate's on their side.

Several hours later found them sitting dejectedly in a camp.

"Tai, why did you go off like that?" Sora wondered.

"I dunno. After getting Greymon to digivolve, I was just so overcome with courage, the very idea of backing down repulsed me."

Joe looked thoughtful as Floramon and Agumon worked at putting his arm in a sling. "Maybe our crests being active for our digimon to reach Ultimate, affects us as well. I know I was feeling much more responsible when Ikkakumon digivolved. I actually felt it was my responsibility to save the Leomon village."

"So I guess, I'll probably be more vain." Ino muttered.

Sora sighed. "As long as I don't start humping legs, I'll be happy."

"Sora, yours is love, not lust." Tai reminder her.

Sora shrugged. She clearly didn't put much stock in love.

"Wonder how the others are doing?" Ino said, interrupting everyone's thoughts, thinking about Naruto and Shino.

Tai's thoughts turned to his other best friend, Izzy.

Sora began wondering about the other female of their group.

Joe however, ignored his thoughts of the others, and finished guiding Floramon and Agumon through the process to put his arm in a sling. "What'll we do about that digimon they mentioned? Myotismon?"

"He's not here is he?" Tai asked sarcastically. "Don't worry about it until we need to."

"Alright." Joe conceded. "So what'll we do about Myotismon."

Tai grimaced at how Joe had ever so slightly insulted him.

"Joe's right." Ino agreed. "The fact that he's looking out for us makes him our next most immediate threat."

Tai sighed. "Fine. What do any of you propose we do about an enemy whom the only thing we know about is his name?"

Ino shrugged. "Another good point. But just cause we don't know enough about him to make plans to counter him, doesn't mean we can't make some plans."

Tai nodded and sighed. "You're right. Sorry."

~With Naruto's Group - The Next Morning~

Naruto and Impmon walked on boredly while their allies followed. They hadn't encountered anything at all, and were coming upon a beach. It looked fairly promising, and it got Naruto's spirits up. Especially so since it actually had visitors.

~With Matt's Group – The Previous Morning~

"Look, we're sorry. We didn't know you don't have the same currency as we did." Matt tried to explain.

"Sorry? Sorry? You'll work here and pay off your debt!" the egg monster he was apologizing too screamed.

Matt sighed again. "We can't. We have far more important things to do."

"Look at it like this." Shino began. "We have money. You don't want to accept it because it isn't the same currency as yours. However, the fact remains that it is money. Therefore the fact that you refused payment from us, makes me believe that you gave us food for free. Which is it? Will you accept our money, or give us free food?"

The egg monster glared for a few seconds before coming to a decision.

~Chapter End~

Well, there's the tenth chapter. Hope you enjoyed it, and I hope it wasn't too fast.

(1): Trollamon. A strong digimon digivolved from Ogremon. It wields a club that guides it's arm to ensure a hit on it's target. Unfortunately, the target must be within it's range of attack, and can't be too close, or it would risk hitting itself as well. It fights best against other large opponents, but isn't very bright, so it isn't unheard of for a Champion to be capable of defeating one using their brains.

(2): Gigantemon. A mega level digimon that exudes and aura of chaos. This aura renders anything not strong enough to resist nothing more then mindless beasts. It also helps make those who can resist make rash decisions, allowing Gigantemon to make up for his lack of speed and intelligence, by using the enemies mistakes. When he puts down his club, or loses it, it means he's getting serious, and will then be using his signature attack, God's Fist. It attacks with the fury of an angry god.

So, that's it, and I hope your looking forward to the next chapter. Later!