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Disclaimer: Because Jennifer unexpectedly lost access to a computer, we had to divide our collaborated fanfic into two parts. The first part is finished and here for you to enjoy. We don’t know when we’ll be able to continue and finish the story. As always, the characters Lexx and Cunomon belong to myself (ussfantasy@hotmail.com), and the characters Jenn and Foximon belong to her (foximon@hotmail.com). The original characters and the script for the movie (which we have taken some liberties with *chuckle*) belong to Saban, Fox, Toei, and various others I’m sure.

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Cunomon cleared his throat rather nervously and sat down on the mat in front of the door. He was feeling kind of funny all of a sudden. "Now let’s just wait one moment," he said to himself, fixing the position of the red bow tie he always worse on special occasions. "Wait just one moment," he repeated. "I know this isn’t a date. She knows this isn’t a date. Therefore, it isn’t a date, and I have nothing to worry about. It’s just two friends seeing a movie. Right. Right. Yeah." He tried to clear his throat again and choked.

Overcome with a coughing fit, the little blue dragon failed to notice the door opening and a small furry head poke out. Failed to notice, that is, until the she asked, "Cuno? Are you all right?"

Cunomon jumped up about five feet in the air and landed on his back. "Yeeeouch!" he yelled as he hit the ground. Regardless of how embarrassed he was, he slowly got up and rubbed his back. "Why did I have to be one of those dragons with spikes on his back?" Cunomon, as usual, tried to hide his embarrassment by doing what he did best. Complaining.

"Cunomon?" Foximon said as she sat by the front door.

"Oh. Heh heh. . . . Hey, Foxi." At this point, Cuno’s sky blue cheeks were now a lighter shade of crimson.

The orange and cream-colored fox Digimon smiled softly, trying not to laugh. She knew Cunomon hated it when people laughed at him, but he was always doing such the funniest things! Like now, for instance. He was keeping those huge golden eyes of his steadily on her paws, but every few seconds he would glance up, lightning fast, and then return to staring downward. "Are you ready, Foximon?" he asked politely.

"Yup! Hold on just a sec." Turning around, Foximon poked her head back inside the door. "We’re leaving Jennifer!" she called inside.

"Have fun!" The human’s voice drifted toward them from the living room.

"I will!" The Digimon took a step back and then shut the door. "You look very cute tonight, Cuno," she said as they began to walk. "I like your tie."

The dragon Digimon made a strangled sound and swallowed hard. "Oh . . . uh, thanks. I mean, thank you, Foximon. Really. You look . . . beautiful."

It was her turn to blush. Cunomon had never said anything like that to her before! "Thank you Cuno." Her voice was soft.

He didn’t respond. She glanced over and saw him staring down at the ground again. They walked in silence for a few more minutes, and she could practically feel the waves of discomfort flowing off them. She looked around. Thank goodness it was after dark, and not many humans were out walking the streets. She was often mistaken for a stray dog, but she didn’t know what people would think if they saw Cuno clearly. She noticed they were passing by the city park and spotted a bench. "Cunomon, come here," she said, trotting ahead. He stared and then followed her as together they sat under the bench. "Cunomon, you don’t have to be uncomfortable," she assured him, launching right into her point.

He shifted uneasily. "I-I’m not uncomfortable Foxi," he stuttered.

She giggled. "It’s very obvious Cuno."

"Oh."

Foximon gave Cunomon a light pat on the head. "Besides, we’re not on a date. We’re just two friends hanging out and having a good time," she said with a smile so warm it could melt a cube of butter. And Cunomon’s heart was definitely melting. The little blue dragon forced another gulp. "Yeah. . . . Heh heh. That’s just what I keep telling myself." He continued to stare at the ground, finding it very difficult to make eye contact with Foxi.

"Uh oh! We’d better hurry up, or we’ll miss our movie!" Foximon rushed out from under the bench.

Cunomon slowly followed. "Oh right, the movie."

* * *

They arrived at the theater with, according to the blinking sign of the bank across the street, five minutes to spare. Just enough time to sneak in and get settled down. Cunomon, all bravado now, led the way around the side of the theater. "I saw this on TV once," he whispered with a silly grin. Foximon giggled and contently trotted beside him as he found the side entrance and together they slipped in.

Digimon were good at being inconspicuous, when they wanted to be. Hiding behind a big cardboard cutout of Godzilla, the two Rookies watched the many humans walking by. Some were rowdy teenagers, some were quiet couples walking arm-in-arm (Eep! Cunomon thought when Foximon gazed longingly at them), and some were harried-looking adults being dragged by small children. The majority of the latter were entering the room on the far right.

The little dragon Digimon squinted at the sign above the double doors. "What’s it say?" he whispered softly to the orange and cream-colored fox crouched beside him. Lexx had taught him to read, but unless he really concentrated he usually just didn’t have the patience.

"It says Digimon: The Movie," assured Foximon, glancing left and right for the man in the red vest that took the humans’ tickets. Finally she spotted him, taking advantage of the fact that the flow of moviegoers had ended now that the movie was about to start and zipping into the restroom. The other humans in red vests were busy behind the food counters. "Now’s our chance," she hissed. "Come on!"

Anyone watching would have been quite surprised to see two streaks, one colored blue and the other orange, shoot across the main entrance and into the darkened room.

"Over there, Foxi!" Cunomon pointed to a spot in the front row. The little blue dragon smiled. "Well, what do ya think?"

Foximon looked forward to where Cunomon was pointing. She was very quiet for a moment.

Cunomon raised an eyebrow. "What?"

Foximon turned to face Cunomon. She responded with a frown. "Well, actually Jenn and I always like to sit near the back. That way we can see the movie better," she assured him. She smiled at the thought.

Cunomon’s jaw dropped. Though he thought his idea was brilliant, he had to admit that Foximon had a point. He figured that he would just give her the benefit of the doubt. "Oh, okay. Ladies’ choice."

The fox giggled. " ‘Course it is. Quiet now. We don’t want to get caught by any of the humans." So saying, she hopped up on the aisle seat of the very last row. Cunomon started at her, blinked once or twice, then gamely gathered himself and jumped up next to her. Unfortunately he had mistimed his jump and ended up on top, inside of beside her.

"Uh . . . oops. Sorry," he muttered, his cheeks flaming as he crawled over the armrest and slumped into the seat beside Foxi’s. He didn’t dare look at her.

Foximon grinned at the little dragon’s embarrassed expression, sought something comforting to say, then forgot about it as the lights fell. "Oooooo! It’s starting!" she whispered with excitement.

Cunomon looked up and smiled. "Cool. Hey! Lookee what I found!" He reached to the side and brought over a bag of popcorn obviously left from the previous moviegoers. It was only half full, and a bit stale, but it smelled perfectly fine. "Free snack," he told her, offering her the bag.

Foximon smiled demurely and thanked him as she popped a kernel into her mouth. Not bad for not paying. Such was the life of a Digimon living in the real world. They couldn’t exactly saunter up to the counter and buy what they wanted.

The little children and some older teenagers were quieting as the previews started. Foximon glanced over, watching the bright lights play over Cunomon, bathing him in now red, now blue, now green light. He was oblivious to her attention, staring at the screen with his yellow eyes wide. His pointed ears tilted forward to catch the sound. She couldn’t help but giggle as he stuffed a giant handful of popcorn into his mouth and chewed noisily, eyes never leaving the screen. So cute! Too bad he was more interested in the movie and the popcorn than her. . . .

There was almost complete darkness for a moment as the previews ended and the screen faded away to black. A few kids started to chatter, only to be silenced by a parental "Shhhhh!" Then the screen brightened again.

The fox Digimon settled down to watch, her eyes making a quick pass around the theater. Suddenly she yelped and jumped, almost upsetting the bag of popcorn. There was a little human boy standing next to her chair!

He must have snuck away from his parents when the lights went down, she thought, holding very, very still. The boy couldn’t have been older than seven or eight. A lock of dark blond hair fell in front of his eyes, the rest cupped around his oval face. Large dark eyes stared at her through his bangs.

"Uh . . . woof?" she attempted, smiling weakly.

The little boy leaned closer, until he was almost nose to nose with Foximon. Where in the Digiworld is Cuno? she thought desperately. This was exactly the kind of thing he was supposed to protect her from!

"You’re a Digimon, aren’t you?" he whispered, so soft she could barely hear him. His breath smelled like chocolate and mint. Darn. How come human kids could always tell? Foximon gave a tiny nod.

The boy leaned back. "Don’t worry, I won’t tell," he promised, grinning. Then he turned back and trotted down the aisle, slumping into a seat next to a bored-looking blond woman.

The fox Digimon blinked once, then again. That was . . . weird. Suddenly she remembered Cunomon and looked around. "Cuno?" she called softly.

A sky blue head poked out from under the seat next to her. "Is he gone?"

My hero, she sighed to herself. Oh well. That was just the sort of ‘mon Cunomon was. "Yes, he’s gone. Just curious, I think."

Cunomon crawled out and back up into his seat. "Oh. Sorry."

"Not a problem." I have no idea how he survived in Digiworld. Now that the crisis was over, Foximon realized there was a song playing. It was loud and obnoxious. As she watched images of Patamon, Gatomon and the other Digi-Destined Digimon bounce and jump around the screen, she realized the opening credits were playing. Yuck. This was worse than that "D – D – D – Digimon" song from the TV show!

"They should have let the Digimon compose the songs," Cunomon complained, apparently thinking along the same lines as she was. "We could think up better stuff than this!"

She giggled. "I dunno. Have you ever heard Agumon?" But at that moment the song ended and the woman who did Kari’s voice on the show started talking, and their conversation died.

Foximon’s eyes grew wide as she saw a very young and very kawaii Taichi climbing down from his top bunk. "Awww," Foximon whispered, "it’s like watching one of those old home movies."

Cunomon snickered at the thought. "I know; I’ve seen Lexx’s. Yeesh, kinda makes ya question why they don’t cancel America’s Funniest Home Videos. Heh heh. Lexx’s baby moments are so much more entertaining."

Foximon nodded in agreement. "Human babies are so interesting," she said as she continued to look up at the screen. She and Cunomon watched as the other chosen children started to make an appearance. Sora, Matt, T.K., Mimi, Joe and Izzy. They were all so young.

"It’s a good thing Jen and Lexx aren’t here." Foximon mimicked her human. " ‘Oh Foximon! Matt was sooo cute and sweet when he was little! I could just cuddle him all day. . . .’ My God, I never heard the end of it!"

Cunomon laughed. "I caught Lexx chanting Izzy’s name in her sleep the other night. One of these days I’m getting it on tape and releasing on our site as an .mp3." He grinned. "Payback for posting ‘Cunomon’s Crushes!’"

"You wouldn’t!" Foximon gasped.

"Nah. I’m just playin’. Me an’ Lexx may not get along half the time, but I would never do anything that extreme," assured Cunomon. "Cross my heart and hope to fly."

The little fox Digimon giggled at Cunomon’s cuteness. "You are cute."

"I know," replied Cuno with a charming smile. Foximon could clearly see why he had so many admirers. Not only was he sweet and funny, but he had the most gorgeous smile.

Just then, Cunomon’s attention was drawn back to the movie. "Oh, I love this part!" The Digimon dragon watched as the battle with Parrotmon and Greymon began. "Man, this is even better then the movies!"

"Uh, Cunomon. . . ." Foximon was interrupted by a loud chorus of "Shhh!" from other annoyed moviegoers. She hunched back down in her seat, muttering.

Cunomon put a comforting paw on Foximon’s shoulder. "Want me to sneak over there and spit in their nachos?"

Foximon only smiled. "Let’s just watch the movie."

"As you wish," he replied, lifting his arm over her head. Foximon immediately regretted her words. Had Cunomon been making some kind of subtle move? Was that his way of trying to tell her how he really felt? Had she just ruined any chance she might have had with him forever? The fox looked over at the dragon—again stuffing his face with popcorn, eyes glued to the screen—and shook her head with a fond smile. Cunomon wasn’t that subtle. If he felt something, he would just say it, she was certain. That was just the kind of ‘mon Cuno was. When she realized that was the second time she’d told herself that this evening, Foximon couldn’t help but chuckle.

"Whattha lawfin’ awt?" the blue and yellow dragon asked around a mouthful of popcorn.

"You. You’re cuteness," she added hastily, not wanting to offend him. He swallowed hugely, licked his lips, and grinned at her. She chuckled again.

"We’re not really watching much of the movie," Cunomon pointed out, turning from the screen to look at her. She glanced over and noticed the adorable baby Kari and Tai on the street, calling for their lost friend as the first part of the movie ended. Her ears drooped. How sad. And she totally missed what happened. Oh, she knew the story, of course. The power of Greymon’s attack was strong enough to seal the breach between the two dimensions, sending both Digimon back to Digiworld. But she missed the movie’s interpretation by talking with Cunomon. On the other paw. . . .

"Actually, I’d rather talk with you than watch some movie, Cunomon," she said, her eyes and voice soft and serious.

Cunomon’s ears stood up straight and he gulped. "Y-you would?" At her nod he began fiddling with his bow tie nervously. The moment was perfect. She grinned and leaned over to give him a kiss.

"Pssst! Digimon!" Foximon started and straightened up, leaving Cunomon blinking and confused. She turned to find the same blond boy standing by her seat.

"What do you want?" she hissed, slightly miffed.

The little boy silently pointed at the screen. Foximon and Cunomon turned together to look.

"Uh oh," Cuno whispered.

"I’ll second that," echoed Foxi.

The screen was . . . changing. Bending, flexing almost. Tiny crackles of blue electricity crawled around the edges of the rectangular screen. The humans in the movie theater were beginning to murmur with confusion and worry. The movie was playing normally, though.

Foximon set her front paws on the back of the seat in front of her, rising up a little to see over the peoples’ heads. The lights were coming on. "What’s going on?" she asked Cuno, relieved that at least no one was paying attention to them other than the boy. "Is there some problem with the movie?" Her tail thrashed in agitation.

Cunomon shook his head unhappily as he imitated her pose. "Lexx explained it to me before I left to pick you up. That’s just a blank screen and the picture comes from up there." He pointed over his shoulder upwards and in back of them. "If anything went wrong . . . well, the screen shouldn’t be doing that. It shouldn’t be doing anything."

"Well it is!" Foxi yelped, diving down behind the seat as the bolts of blue electricity began exploding from the screen. There were screams of terror from the humans.

"We have to help them," Cunomon gasped, jumping down beside her. "It’s our job. We’re Digimon."

"Hey, protecting one human is quite enough," grumbled Foximon, but she turned and snagged the little boy’s pant leg. He was still standing in the aisle, seeming in shock. "Run for the exit," she ordered when she had his attention.

"But my mom. . . ."

"Now!" she barked. "We’ll help everyone else." A bolt of lightning snapped and crackled between them, and that was incentive enough to send him scrambling for the doors.

Cunomon, meanwhile, had leapt up onto the top of the seat. "Can’t digi-volve," he muttered, then drew a deep breath. "EVERYONE HEAD FOR THE EXITS!" the little dragon bellowed at the top of his lungs, dodging a bolt as he spoke.

A few of the humans stared at him in total shock. Others grabbed their kids or siblings and started shoving their way to the back and front of the large room, climbing over chairs and sometimes other people. Soon others caught on, and then all the humans were struggling to make their way out.

Cunomon jumped back down beside Foximon. She gave him an amazed look. "You have good lungs," she finally said.

"All the better to serenade you with, my dear," the Digimon joked, wincing as another bolt struck exceptionally close to the two of them. In the face of danger, with adrenaline flowing and lightning flaring all around, he seemed to have lost his awkward, timid attitude. What timing.

They had been speaking loudly, almost yelling, to be heard over the crackling sounds of the bolts reaching out and striking the chairs, aisle and walls. Foximon took a deep breath and started to ask, "What do we do now?" But at that moment all noise in the room ceased, and she found herself shouting into the silence. Immediately she cut herself off, blushing a little as Cunomon’s ears flattened back. "Sorry," she added more softly.

There was a long pause as the two little Rookies stared at each other uncertainly. Crouched behind the row of chairs, neither one made a move to look over the seats and see what had happened. Until, that is, a deep, booming laugh filled the room.

It was not a nice laugh.

As the mocking sound echoed, Foximon and Cunomon continued to look at each other. As one they nodded, counted to three, then poked their heads up. The electricity had stopped. The bulging, wavering effect of the screen had also ended. The only thing on it was a massive black head with horns and a wild mane of bright orange hair. Ugly yellow eyes were unquestionably focused on the two Digimon in the theater. A sneer lit his dark face.

"Diaboromon," growled Foximon.

The Mega Digimon laughed again, and reached out with long black claws. To the shock of both Rookies, his giant hands reached right through the tall screen and into the theater room! They were so surprised they didn’t even move until the long claws wrapped around them. With useless struggles and cries, the two Digimon were yanked into the screen of a totally innocent children’s movie about monsters that battled each other to protect a certain group of special kids.

As the screen went blank and silence fell, a torn red bow tie fluttered to the carpeted ground. Then all was still.

* * *

Riiing!!! Riiiiing!!! "Lexx, hon, could you get that please?" yelled Lexx’s mother as the phone rang. Lexx yelled out an okay as she skipped over to a small table just outside the kitchen where the woman was fixing dinner. She picked up the phone and let out a friendly hello.

"Hello, is Lexx home?"

"This is Lexx. . . . Jenn is something wrong? You don’t sound too good."

"Is Foximon over at your place?" said Jennifer, practically out of breath.

A look of realization crossed Lexx’s face as she carried the phone with her into the living room. She peered out a nearby window overlooking the street that passed by her apartment. "Come to think of it, Cunomon hasn’t come home either." There was a short moment of silence. "I really should give that dragon a curfew," Lexx said jokingly.

Jenn let out another worried sigh. "Do you think that they could still be at the theater? Maybe they decided to stay for the next showing."

Lexx glanced at the clock, then shook her head. "I don’t think so. Cuno’s not patient enough to sit through the same thing twice!"

Jennifer giggled slightly. "Good point."

Lexx turned around, remembering that her mother was still in the other room. Though her mother knew about Cunomon, one of the house rules was that he couldn’t go outside alone. He had to go with Lexx and pretend to be her pet. She had promised her Digimon she wouldn’t tell that he was going to the movies with another Digimon.

"Hey Jenn, I have to let you go. Tell you what. Meet me at the movie theater in half an hour. Okay?"

"Okay," she responded in agreement. "See ya there." With that, they both hung up.

* * *

Foximon slowly opened her eyes. What a strange dream, she thought as she slowly started to come to. She began to notice her surroundings and, in a snap, realized that this was indeed a very real place. She gasped in horror, remembering what had happened in the movie theater. This led to another horrifying question.

"Cunomon? Oh my gosh!" The little fox Digimon continued to call out her friend’s name. There was no sign of the little blue dragon anywhere. Her mind was flooded with questions. So many terrifying questions that, unfortunately, could not be answered at that moment. "What is this place?" She looked out into an open street surrounded by buildings, traffic lights, and a perfectly blue shaded sky. "Wait. . . ." Her train of thought was interrupted by yet another discovery. "I’ve seen this place before. But it couldn’t be possible . . . could it?" At this point, Foximon would believe any explanation, whether it was logical or not.

Just then she heard a loud crashing sound coming from a nearby ally. She quickly jumped to her feet and leaped over to see what the noise was. Maybe it was Cunomon! She stopped in front of the ally and looked on hopefully. Sure enough there he was, clawing his way through a mudslide of trash bags, old newspapers and whatnot. Foximon rushed to his aid. "Cunomon, how did this happen?"

"Hmm. That’s a very good question. You tell me," he replied, brushing himself off.

"I only wish I knew," sighed the orange and cream-colored fox. "But . . . do you remember . . . the theater?"

He nodded. "And Diaboromon."

Her shoulders slumped with relief. "Well, at least I didn’t dream it. But now I almost wish I did." She cocked her head over to the side. "But didn’t you say, back in the theater, that it was just a blank screen, with the picture projected onto it?" At his nod she asked, "Then how did Diaboromon reach right through and. . . ." She made a pulling gesture.

"I have no idea." The little dragon tipped his head and scratched his ear with a hind foot, looking like a spiky blue dog. "Man, I think I got a banana peel in my ear."

Foximon giggled. "Well, you look fine to me. Except you lost your little bow tie."

"I did!? AHHH!" Cunomon craned his head, trying to see his own neck. Finally he gave up and sat down, dejected. "That was my best one, too."

Foximon grinned. "Don’t worry, Cuno. I’m sure you can get another one. Besides, we may have to fight to get home, and you don’t look very threatening wearing a bow tie."

"Guess you’re right," he agreed, getting up. "Well, what now?"

"Now we find out where we are exactly, then find out how to get back."

"And . . . any idea how we do that?"

She sighed. "Not a clue."

The two Rookie Digimon sat there in the alley for some time, searching their minds for a solution. To Cunomon this just didn’t make sense. While sitting in a movie theater, the screen comes to life (impossible!). An evil Mega Digimon grabs them and then . . . they end up somewhere? Could this be Digiworld? It didn’t look like Digiworld to Cuno, but there were still some places of the world he hadn’t explored yet. So where—

"Cuno?"

"Yeah?"

"Do you think . . . no, never mind. It’s stupid." She shook her head, her black-tipped ears flopping back and forth.

"No, what?" he urged.

"Well . . . do you think we’re—" Her ears suddenly stood up straight. "Shhh! Someone’s coming!"

Cunomon’s own ears perked up. In a moment he could hear it too: harsh panting and the slapping of sneakers on the sidewalk. Someone was running their way! He followed Foximon as she leapt behind a garbage can, then the two of them peeked their heads around the side.

The footsteps got louder and louder. Cuno fidgeted impatiently. Get here already! he thought. And then, it did. A human boy dashed by the alleyway, running down the sidewalk. He didn’t even glance their way.

"Well, that was nothing to get excited about," commented the little dragon, coming out from behind the trashcan. "Now, what were you saying, Foxi?" But Foximon wasn’t listening. She was staring out at the street, her brown eyes narrowed in intense concentration. "Er . . . Foxi?"

She blinked. "Cuno, describe that human for me."

"Huh?"

"Just do it."

The Digimon’s forehead scrunched up. "Uh . . . let me think. He had an orange shirt . . . and red hair, I think. And something on his back. . . ." He trailed off and his yellow eyes widened.

"Izzy!" the both exclaimed together.

Foximon sprang toward the street. "Follow that Digi-Destined!" she cried. Cunomon was right on her heels.

* * *

Jennifer paced impatiently in front of the movie theater. "Come on Lexx, where are you?" she muttered under her breath. Jenn looked at her watch. 10:00 PM, almost closing time. Just then, a familiar black-haired girl in a purple vest was spotted in the distance. "Lexx, over here!" Jennifer called out to her friend, waving her arms wildly in the air.

Lexx waved back in response. "Sorry I’m late," Lexx apologized. She was totally out of breath.

Jennifer nodded. "Don’t worry ‘bout it." She noticed that Lexx had her portable laptop strapped to her back, but didn’t ask. They didn’t have the time! They had fifteen minutes to get in, find their Digimon, and get home without breaking their curfews.

Together they rushed inside the theater doors. Luckily, the guy who took the tickets had already gone home. The two girls snuck into the lobby unnoticed. They managed to find their way into the theater room, where they would hope to find their Digimon. But what they found was an empty room with shredded popcorn bags and candy wrappers scattered every which way. The carpet looked like someone had lit a match on it. The entire top half of the seats were singed black, obviously from bolts of electricity hitting them. "Martha Stewart, eat your heart out," Jennifer stated, of course being her ever sarcastic self.

"I can see why you and Matt get along so well," Lexx teased. But just as the thought had left her mind, she felt something stick to the bottom of her shoe. "Eeeww. Anybody got a gum wrapper?"

"Wait, that’s not gum! Lift up your shoe." Jennifer and Lexx discovered a torn, red bow tie hanging off the sole of Lexx’s boot. "Yep, that’s Cuno’s alright." Lexx replied, peeling the piece of red cloth off the bottom of her boot and observing it. "But where’s Foxi and Cuno?"

Jennifer shrugged. Her eyes slowly found their way to the huge movie screen . . . and then it hit her like a ton of bricks. She gasped at the thought. "But . . . that’s impossible!"

Lexx suddenly knew exactly what Jenn was thinking. "Oh, and getting sucked into a vortex and landing in the digital world, isn’t?" she pointed out. It was a very good point.

Jennifer raised an eyebrow. "Well, now what?"

"Wait!" exclaimed Lexx. "I have an idea!" She got out her laptop and set it on the ground. She sat down with it and began typing.

"What are doing?" Jenn asked, kneeling down beside her friend.

Lexx replied to Jenn as she continued typing, eyes never leaving the monitor. "I brought my old laptop along just in case. Maybe there’s some way we can communicate with them!" Lexx continued typing.

"And I can see why you and Izzy are so compatible," Jennifer commented with yet another sarcastic response. Lexx just ignored her and kept typing.

"Come on, Cuno! If you’re there, please answer?" Lexx muttered to the computer screen. She didn’t really know just what she doing, but she didn’t care. She had to find her Digimon! Jennifer just watched in worry.

* * *

Meanwhile, the little blue dragon and his lady friend found themselves in front of a huge apartment building. Obviously the same apartment building where their good friend and leader of the Digi-Destined, Taichi Kamiya, lived. Things were starting to come together like the pieces of a very large jigsaw puzzle. Cuno pointed to the fire escape. "There’s our ride." He suavely gestured a paw. "Ladies first."

"Oh gee, thanks," Foximon said lightly, slapping Cuno in the face with her tail. She was never too fond of heights. She trotted up the stairs as Cunomon trailed slowly behind her. He was obviously just as timid about climbing that thing as Foxi. And this is the same ‘mon who complains about not being able to fly, Foxi thought to herself, silently snickering.

They finally managed to reach their destination. They peered through the window. Let’s see now . . . the floor was flooded in what seemed like an endless ocean of scattered laundry, crushed soda cans, and various magazines. Yup, this was most definitely the bedroom of Tai Kamiya! Well, what else was left to do but get a closer look? Foximon looked over to her partner in crime and grinned. "Let me guess, ladies first?" Cunomon only smirked. The little orange fox managed to squeeze through the narrowly opened window. Cuno followed Foxi with a thud. "Oh, that was graceful," she joked.

"Yeah, well, I can’t help it if I’m so strong and powerful that I have trouble being graceful," sniffed the little dragon, nose in the air.

Foxi giggled. "Oh, I see."

"You do?" He blinked. At her nod he grinned widely. "Finally, someone who understands!"

"Shhh! Tai and Kari’s parents might be home!" she hissed, padding quietly to the door.

Cunomon blinked again. What happened to understanding? With a quiet sigh of resignation he followed her. "You know, this would be so much easier if the rest of the Digi-Destined were as sensible as Lexx and just told their parents about us."

About to poke her head out the slightly opened door, Foximon stopped to turn and give him an odd look. "Cuno, are you insane? There’s no way adults would understand!"

"Mom does," he insisted stubbornly.

It was the fox Digimon’s turn to blink. And then blink again. And then burst out laughing. Unable to control herself, she fell over and clutched her sides, rolling on the floor. Cuno’s eyes widened and he shifted his weight uneasily. Why was she laughing? Was she laughing at him?

Tears leaked from Foximon’s eyes, she was laughing so hard. Finally, gasping for breath, she managed to sit up and wheeze, "You call . . . Lexx’s mother . . . Mom?"

Cunomon bristled. She was laughing at him! "Yeah? So what?"

She immediately realized her mistake. Trying in vain to control her giggles, she soothed, "Sorry, Cuno. I really don’t mean to laugh . . . it’s just. . . ." She broke off into snickers again. "Sorry, sorry."

"Huh." Cunomon glared. And he didn’t say anything else.

Foximon’s mirth evaporated under his angry stare. "Cunomon, really, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean—" She cut herself off, ears standing up as a faint voice floated toward them from outside the room.

"Tai? Could you please go shut off whatever toy is making so much noise in your room? I think Kari left a video game on before she left for her birthday party."

"Mom, we’re kinda busy here!" That was Tai, all right. And despite his statement, the sound of footsteps soon neared the bedroom door.

"Eek!" yelped the fox Digimon, scrambling backward. "Quick, Cuno, under the bed!"

"What? Why?"

"Just do it!" She dashed under herself, and the dragon Digimon shrugged and followed.

"So, what? Now we’re hiding from the Digi-Destined too?" It was dark under the bed. All he could see was a pair of big brown eyes gazing at him, light shining off them in a dull gleam. The dark pupils rolled.

"Don’t you get it, Cuno? This is the movie! We’re in the movie! I don’t know how, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. And that means those aren’t the real Digi-Destined! We—shhh!" The door to the bedroom opened, and they watched a pair of white socks walk across the floor.

"Tai, some virus Digimon is eating Internet data and you’re running around shutting off video games!?" The voice belonged to Izzy, as did the pair of black socks that followed. "This is serious!"

"So was my mother," Tai’s voice returned. "Except . . . the TV’s off."

"Maybe your mother was hearing things."

"My mother doesn’t hear things!"

Cuno rolled his eyes. If they weren’t the real Izzy and Tai, they were certainly close enough. He shifted restlessly, stirring up the dust that had collected under the bed. Suddenly he sniffed sharply. Uh oh.

"Don’t you dare," breathed Foximon.

Too late.

"AH CHOO!"

Silence. Then, "What was that?" from Tai.

"Your cat?"

"My cat doesn’t play video games!"

"It came from beneath your bed."

"I know where it came from!"

Cunomon wasn’t going to take this any more. It was dusty under the bed. And cramped. And dark. "And these two argue more than Lexx and me!" he finished his thoughts out loud as he crawled out. "Ahhh! Don’t kill me!" he cried two seconds later.

Foximon hit herself in the forehead with a paw.

Tai’s voice, sounding angry. "You’ve got thirty seconds to tell me what you were doing under my bed before I cream you with this soccer ball, whatever you are!"

"We’re Digimon!" Cunomon defended himself hotly.

" ‘We’?"

"Oops."

Foximon rolled her eyes. So much for hiding. With resignation she crawled out from under the bed and dusted herself off with her tail. At least Cuno didn’t have fur!

Tai Kamiya and Izzy Izumi were poised on the other side of the room, Tai holding a soccer ball in a threatening pose. Their jaws were pretty much on the floor. "They multiply faster than rabbits," muttered the boy with goggles around his neck.

"You know, you should really clean under your bed, Tai," Foximon complained, shaking more dust from her ears.

He looked even more surprised than he already was. "How’d you know my name?"

"Oops." She giggled nervously.

The two pairs stared at each other, neither saying a word, until—

"Tai!" It was his mother again, calling from the kitchen. The four froze. "Your father’s computer is making a lot of noise! You didn’t do anything to it, did you?"

Izzy groaned and smacked himself in the forehead. "The virus!" He was off like a shot.

Tai stared suspiciously at the two Digimon. "All right, you two are coming with me. Down the hall, no making any noise. Come on, let’s go."

Cuno glared and didn’t move, but Foximon swatted him with her tail and told him to hurry up. The trio dashed down the hall and into the computer room. Tai closed the door quickly and listened. No shrieks from his mother and demands to know what he was doing with animals in the house. That was good, at least. "Whew!"

Izzy was typing away at his yellow laptop, staring at the larger screen where a purplish Digimon with long flat hands was being displayed. "The virus is still Keramon," he reported as Tai and the two Digimon approached. Cunomon peered over his shoulder. "Who’re you?" the redhead couldn’t help but ask curiously.

"I’m Cunomon. And she’s Foximon. You mean you really don’t know us, Izzy?"

"I’m more interested in how you know us. Is it because we’re Digi-Destined? Did we meet you in the digital world?" He couldn’t remember any Digimon that looked like these two.

Foximon smiled. "It’s a long story. But what’s a Keramon?"

"That is." Tai tapped the screen. "At least he didn’t digi-volve again. The way he’s going, he’s going to be a Mega before too long." He sighed.

Izzy’s laptop beeped. The boy in the orange shirt leaned over, tapping a few more buttons. "We’re receiving a transmission!"

"From who?" Tai wondered, looking at the two Digimon sitting beside them. Somehow he had a feeling they were involved.

"Let’s find out." Izzy clicked on the small loudspeaker icon. The image of Keramon on Tai’s father’s computer screen suddenly vanished, to be replaced with—

"Jenn!" exclaimed Foximon.

"Lexx!" cried Cuno.

"Who?" the two boys asked as one, staring openmouthed at the screen.

"Whoa, wicked!" commented Tai.

Foximon’s ears perked up. "Jenn, where are you?"

"Lexx and I are at the movie theater," Jenn answered, as a noise came through in the background.

"What was that?" yelped Izzy.

Lexx quickly looked behind her. It sounded like the echo of a door closing. She turned to look at Jenn. Fear was written all over her face.

"Those were the doors in the lobby. We’ve been locked in!"

"What!?" Jenn shrieked.

Cunomom interrupted. "Hey, we have more important things to deal with. Do you two have any idea where we are right now?"

"Oh, gee let me think. Could it be that you’re stuck inside a movie? It doesn’t take a rocket scientist to figure that one out," Jenn commented, lifting an eyebrow.

"Somehow, I don’t think even a rocket scientist could figure this one out," Tai replied, folding his arms. "And how did you get on my dad’s computer screen anyway? Do you work for Keramon?"

"Pfft. Well that’s a stupid thing to ask, dontcha think?" Jenn said, a bit miffed.

Tai smirked and turned to Izzy. "Hey Izzy, doesn’t she remind you of someone?"

Izzy nodded "Ooohhh yeah."

Lexx giggled along with the two boys on the other side of the computer screen. Jennifer just glared at them. "Okay, it was funny the first few times."

Just then, they were interrupted by a familiar voice. It was high-pitched and it souded an awful lot like . . . it was! "Agumon! Where are you?" Tai shouted.

"Over here!" his Digimon answered. The voice was coming from Izzy’s laptop.

"We’re getting another transmission." A small window popped up on Izzy’s monitor to reveal the little orange Digimon along with another very familiar face.

"Greetings," replied Gennai, as Agumon bounced up and down beside him happily.

Tai’s eye about welled up in tears. "Agumon."

Just then, Tentomon came into view. "Don’t forget me!" He waved to his Digi-Destined.

"Tentomon?" Izzy was a bit shocked but still just as happy as Tai was to see his Digimon. They were soon followed by the other six Digi-Destined Digimon. Byiomon, Gabumon, Palmon, Patamon, Gomamon, Gatomon! They each made their appearance one by one.

While Tai and Izzy were speaking with Gennai and their Digimon, Lexx’s thoughts were whirling like crazy. How in the world was this possible? Her Digimon and another had been pulled into a movie? Yeah, right. That was ridiculous. But she could see the evidence with her own eyes. Like the goggles hanging around Tai’s neck. He had already given his goggles to Davis; he couldn’t have them now. And Izzy hadn’t worn his hair that long for a while now. Somehow they really were talking with characters in a movie! Okay, accept that and move on.

Next, how had she been able to contact them with her laptop? That didn’t make much sense, when she thought about it. The only possibility she could think of was that her close proximity to the movie screen, which must be some sort of equivalent to the digi-ports that opened to the Digiworld, was enabling her laptop to connect with Izzy’s and Tai’s computer in the movie. The girl’s green eyes widened as another astonishing possibility occurred to her. What if there were more worlds, not just the real world and the digital one? What if the movie was another world, another reality, like a parallel dimension or something?

"You look deep in thought." Lexx jumped as a hand touched her shoulder. "Just me," Jennifer assured her, smiling lightly. "I went to have a look around. All the normal doors are locked, but there’s an emergency exit we could use. The thing is, it says the alarm will sound if we open it, and I thought we might want to clear this up first." She waved a hand to encompass Lexx’s laptop and the theater’s giant screen as well. It was dark, but the edges still glowed a faint blue to attest to the amazement that had happened earlier.

"Yeah," agreed the black-haired female, looking at the big screen in front of them thoughtfully. They sat in the aisle of the room, the laptop set up in front of them. She told Jenn what she had been thinking of, that the movie screen was a portal to another world.

"Just like the digi-ports in the computers!" the girl with the brown hair exclaimed.

"Exactly!" Lexx grinnned.

On the screen Cunomon and Foximon were peering at their Digi-Destined, snouts inches from the screen. "You sure you guys are okay?" Cuno asked dubiously.

Foximon agreed. "I don’t like the idea of you two being out there without anyone watching your backs."

"We’ll watch each other’s backs," Jenn assured her Digimon, slinging an arm around Lexx’s shoulders with a smile.

The little dragon on the screen frowned. "I dunno, Jenn. Lexx needs a lot of looking after. It’s a full-time job."

She blushed. "Shut up, idiot."

"Yeah, and move over too." The voice belonged to Tai. So did the pair of hands that shoved the two Digimon out of the way. Tai and Izzy took the place of Foxi and Cuno, the former now wearing his goggles on his head. "Look, I have no idea who you two are or what you mean by ‘inside a movie,’ but we’ve got some serious problems here. Gennai says this Digimon or virus or whatever is one tough customer, and Agumon and Tentomon are getting ready to enter the Internet to fight him."

For Jenn, this was déjà vu. She remembered Matt telling her about the battle with Diaboromon a long time ago. But he certainly didn’t mention Foximon and Cuno joining the battle! They couldn’t be talking to the Tai and Izzy of the past; the two boys would have recognized the girls on the screen. Her mind came up with the same solution as Lexx’s had: they must have made contact with some alternate world.

As Jenn was thinking, Izzy explained to Lexx that Agumon and Tentomon wouldn’t be online immediately. Tai left to make some phone calls, trying to get a hold of the six other Digi-Destined. "Am I correct in assuming that you, too, are Digi-Destined?" asked the redhead. "I base my hypothesis on the fact that these two Digimon seem to know you."

"Of course they are!" Cunomon snorted impatiently. "I’m Cunomon, this is Foximon, and that’s Lexx and Jenn. I already explained that!" He glared at the boy sitting next to him. "I think our Izzy catches on a lot faster."

He blinked. "Your Izzy?"

Lexx sighed. "Never mind him, he’s an idiot. Yes, we’re Digi-Destined." Jenn held up her digi-vice as proof.

He was back on track at that. "Good, then you can use your digi-vices to send these two to help Agumon and Tentomon . . . or, you could if you have a Digimon Analyzer." He was interested in knowing just what these new Digi-Destined had, and what their experiences were. Did they witness the battle between Greymon and Parrotmon as well?

The black-haired girl’s shoulders slumped. "No such luck," she muttered. Then her eyes brightened. "Wait, I’ve just thought of something!" Her fingers flew over the keyboard.

"What are you doing?" Jenn asked.

"Well, you see, Cuno and I were never regular Digi-Destined; we were kinda just temps. So when we left Digiworld I had to give my Crest and digi-vice back to Unimon. That was four years ago, but recently I received an e-mail from some strange guy. I opened it and this—" Lexx finally found the folder she had been searching for and pointed to it with a flourish. "—was attached!"

Her friend leaned forward to read the title. "Digi.vce? I don’t get it. What kind of program is a .vce file?"

"When I clicked on it, a D3 came out of the computer. See?" She reached into her purple vest and withdrew her D3. It was light lavender in color.

Izzy’s face registered interest in the little window on the screen. "What’s that?" he asked curiously.

"Another kind of digi-vice," Lexx explained. "But the file was still there after I had my D3, so I kept it in a folder. I never tried clicking on it again, but I’ve often wondered what would happen. Maybe it’ll help us now!"

Jenn shrugged. "Well, it can’t hurt."

"Actually, I’ve kinda been afraid it might. That’s why I haven’t tried it before now." Lexx gave a nervous grin.

Cuno was back in the window of the computer room in the movie. "No time like right now to find out!" he told her with a brave grin. "Go for it!" Foximon’s voice chimed in from the background, saying the same thing.

"All right. Hold your digi-vice up to the screen, Jenn." When both devices were ready Lexx took a breath, held it, and then clicked the button.

Bright light exploded from both screens, causing all three children to shield their eyes. It faded in an instant, and as the two girls blinked stars from their eyes the sound of running footsteps came through the speakers. Tai plopped down beside Izzy.

"Hey, where’d those two Digimon go?"

"Foxi’s gone!?" yelped Jenn, leaning forward.

Izzy waved his hand dismissively. "Don’t worry. They’re right here on the screen, next to Agumon and Tentomon. I don’t know how, but it worked! All four Digimon are now on the Internet!"

Jenn and Lexx cheered.

* * *

"Does this information superhighway have a restroom? I’ve got to go potty!" Tentomon complained, zooming down a long corridor of bright colors.

The orange dino zooming right along beside him answered impatiently, "You should have gone before we left. Just hold it!"

They were joined by a third voice. "Never fear boys, help has arrived!" Another corridor appeared right beside theirs. Flying down it were two other Digimon, Agumon and Tentomon noticed with some surprise.

Shock was more like it. "What are Cunomon and Foximon doing here?" cried Tentomon. He had never met them before (this Tentomon hadn’t, anyway) but Digimon had a habit of recognizing one another easily.

"What’s it look like?" the dragon Digimon shot back, grinning wildly. "Check it out, Foxi! I’m flying! Whoo!"

"Do you work for Keramon?" demanded Agumon.

"Don’t be silly, Agumon. We’re here to help you!" insisted Foximon. The four Digimon flew down the corridor abreast, and suddenly a line of windows appeared above them. Tai’s face appeared.

"You’re gonna need a password!"

His face was replaced with Izzy’s. "You can use mine to get on the Internet. Prodigious!"

"Prodigious!" the four Digimon shouted as the corridor opened up into a huge white world, colorful wheels spinning on the walls.

"They’re in!" gasped Jenn’s voice.

"So this is the Internet," murmured Agumon. "They could use new wallpaper."

Cunomon did a loop-de-loop, laughing. "Who needs wings in a place like this? Wheee!"

The other three Rookies gave him dirty looks. Chuckling, he stopped goofing off. They were here for a reason, after all.

Lexx’s voice echoed quietly in the vast world. "There he is." Indeed, far below was a small gray shape. A string of data trailed into his mouth and he sucked it up like a long strand of spaghetti.

"He doesn’t know we’re here yet," whispered Tentomon.

"Let’s sneak up on him quietly," agreed Agumon.

"Quietly is for wimps," snorted Cunomon. "Rolling Spines!" The Digimon suddenly became a round blue blur, shooting down from the "sky" like a launched yo-yo. Only this one didn’t have a string attached to yank him back up and away from danger.

Foximon’s eyes widened. "Cuno, no!" She lunged for him, missed, then plummeted after him.

Agumon sighed. "So much for quietly."

"Huh?" Keramon dropped the data stream and looked up, spotting the twirling ball of spikes that was Cunomon just in time to sidestep the attacking Digimon. His round green eyes followed with interest as Cunomon shot past him and continued downward.

Which was why he missed Foximon’s attack entirely.

"Hurricane Blaster!"

The powerful blast of air slammed into Keramon, stunning him. As Foximon sailed clear Tentomon let loose with a Super Shocker, engulfing the evil virus in blue electricity. Agumon followed that with a couple of Pepper Breaths.

Below, Foximon had caught up with Cuno, who had managed to untangle himself and slow down. "See that, Foxi? We got him!" he shouted triumphantly.

The smoke cleared. Keramon, whole and unhurt, turned to glance up at the two Digimon above him. He had a big grin on his face.

* * *

Tai growled in frustration as the screen showed the results of the battle. "That should have worked, but it didn’t! Hey, Keramon’s sending us an e-mail! It says, ‘So, you like to play games, huh?’"

"We’ve got the same one!" Lexx replied tensely.

* * *

Cunomon and Foximon flew upward to regroup with Agumon and Tentomon. More windows popped up as Tai reported Keramon’s note. "I’ve got a bad feeling about this, Agumon," the brown-haired boy added.

"You’d better digi-volve, all of you! Now!" insisted Izzy.

"He’s right! Go for it, Foximon!" shouted Jenn, her fist clenched.

"Mop the floor with him," Lexx snarled, caught up in the battle.

"Agumon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Tentomon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Foximon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Cunomon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Greymon!"

"Kabuterimon!"

"Glorymon!"

"Sartomon!"

* * *

All over the world, children of every nation watched in amazement as the four new Champions entered the scene.

* * *

"Go get him, Glorymon!" shouted Jennifer.

"Trash that bug!" added Tai from the other end of the screen. The Champions lunged forward and showered their enemy with a series of attacks.

"Nova Blast!"

"Electro Shoker!

"Raging Cyclone!"

"Star Shooter!"

Each attack covered the little virus in a cloud of smoke. "I think they got him!" announced Jenn.

"You guys make this stuff look easy," added Tai.

But just as the smoke cleared away, there stood Keramon, still unharmed. "Not even a dent," stated Lexx, eyes wide open at the screen.

"Uh oh," added Jenn, pointing to the screen.

Lexx sighed, "What is it now?"

"He’s digi-volving again!" gasped Izzy.

* * *

"Keramon digi-volve to . . . Infermon!"

"Infermon?" Sartomon sneered.

* * *

"He’s at the Champion level now, just like our Digimon!" said Izzy. Tai continued to look on in amazement. Jennifer and Lexx were just as shocked.

At that exact moment, Infermon sprung. The spider-like virus Digimon leaped from place to place, outrunning the four Champion Digimon. "He’s stronger than a Champion!" said Greymon. With this new information, Izzy quickly began yet another one of his theories.

"I’ve got it figured out now!" he shouted. "He’s bypassed the Champion level and went straight to Ultimate!" Jennifer and Lexxy were listening to Izzy’s theory as well.

"Then that means that our Digimon aren’t strong enough," said Lexx.

Tai and Jennifer chimed in. "Then they’re just going to have to digi-volve again!" the two of them commanded together.

Tai blinked. "Hey, how’d you know I was gonna say that?"

Jennifer shrugged. "Um . . . woman’s intuition?"

Tai folded his arms. "Riiiight. . . ."

* * *

"Greymon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Kabuterimon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Glorymon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Sartomon digi-volve to. . . ."

"Not so fast," said Infermon, getting into position.

"Come on, faster!" cried Lexx, popping up in another window. Something was slowing down the digi-volving process!

"Why are they digi-volving so slowly?" asked Jenn. Foximon’s ability to digi-volve was never very stable, but this was ridiculous.

"Spider Shooter!" Infermon blasted them with an attack. Unfortunately, the four Champions we still in the process of digi-volving. The kids watched as their Digimon were hit, one by one.

"Kabuterimon!" cried Izzy.

"Greymon, no!"

"Oh no! Glorymon!"

"Sartomon!"

Infermon took this opportunity to make his escape.

The Champions were now back to their Rookie forms. "Agumon, speak to me!" Tai pleaded.

"Don’t take me out, coach," the Digimon groaned.

"Tentomon, are you okay?"

"I’m fine! Just one question . . . who’s Tentomon?"

Jennifer and Lexx tended to their Digimon as well.

"Foximon!"

"Cunomon?"

"Man, did anyone get the number of that truck?" he responded.

* * *

"This is bad," said Jennifer.

"Very bad," agreed Lexx.

Just then: "Hey, look you guys," Izzy interrupted. "We’re getting e-mails from all over the world. Here’s one from Willis," he announced, as he began reading the message aloud. " ‘Dear Izzy, I’m sorry. This is all my fault. Find a way to slow him down.’"

"What does he mean, his fault?" asked a very aggravated Tai. But before Izzy could answer. . . .

"Infermon is sending us an e-mail," announced Izzy as he opened the file.

"Why is he saying ‘Hello!’ over and over again?"

Lexx joined in on the conversation. "Look at the address you guys!"

Izzy gasped. "The phone compnay!" Sweat dripped down the boy’s forehead. "He’s taking over all the phone lines. We’ll loose our connection to the Internet!"

"Then we’re done for," said Lexx.

"Wait just one minute here! Come on Lexx, what are we worrying about? It’s just a movie, remember? We already know that we’ll win," said Jennifer.

"I have a question. If this is ‘just a movie,’ was this in the script?" asked Tai, just as confused as ever.

"Look around you, Jenn!" snapped Lexx. "Does this look like make-believe to you?"

Jennifer sighed. "I’m sorry Lexx, you’re right."

Immediately feeling bad about snapping, Lexx touched her friend’s shoulder. "I didn’t mean it like that. Actually, in theory, it should all work out. The thing is, since we’re here, we’ve messed up the timeline. Our presence might change the outcome of this whole thing!" She sighed too. "I’d suggest pulling Cuno and Foxi out of there, but we’ve already influenced things."

"Look," shot Tai, annoyance in his voice. "If it’s just a movie for you, that’s all fine and swell. But this is real life over here, and we need all the help we can get!"

"I know, I know," Lexx returned. "We have to stay and make sure this all works out!"

Izzy had that familiar thinking expression on his face. "It’s possible we’re on the same timeline, and you two are from our future. However, based on the facts I’ve gathered since Cunomon and Foximon showed up in Tai’s bedroom, I’m betting we exist on totally separate worlds. Parallel dimensions, maybe."

Lexx grinned. "That was exactly my idea too!" she exclaimed.

"Oooooo, Lexx. Looks like—"

Lexx elbowed Jenn. "Don’t even say it," she snorted.

Tai held up the cordless phone to the screen. "Bad news guys," he reported, sounding desperate. "The phones are dead. All I get is a busy signal . . . and an annoyed operator. Not a single call can get through!" Just then the phone in his hand rang. Tai looked surprised, then answered. "Hello, this is Tai." Izzy beside him and the two girls on the computer screen watched as the brown-haired boy’s face slowly transformed into one of fear. "It’s Infermon. . . ." he breathed.

Izzy stared, but his head whipped around as the laptop beeped. His hands flew over the keyboard, then froze.

"What?" asked Tai.

"Connection . . . terminated." Izzy was aghast.

"What next?" Tai moaned.

Jennifer’s voice came over the speakers. "What’s happening?" she demanded.

Both boys jumped. "You’re still here!" Izzy gasped.

"Of course," snorted Lexx. "Our computers are connected to each other, not the Internet. And our side didn’t crash. I think Infermon caught on that you were the ones who sent the Digimon to fight. He can’t get us over here."

"Great! Where are the Digimon?" Tai wanted to know.

Lexx’s green eyes widened. "I don’t know! Your computer was the one monitoring them! We were just piggybacking your signal!"

"Great." Tai groaned again, then fell backward as Izzy suddenly stood up. "Hey, where are you going?" he shouted as the redhead bolted for the door.

"Be back in a nano!" Izzy called back as the door slammed.

"No one tells me anything anymore," the goggled boy grumbled. "Well, the phones are dead, we can’t get online to help our Digimon. Anyone got any bright ideas?"

Jenn’s image on the computer screen cocked her head thoughtfully. "Didn’t you say a while ago that you were going to get the other Digi-Destined?"

"No luck." Tai shook his head. "Kari’s at a birthday party and refuses to come home, Joe’s in summer school, Matt and T.K.’s grandmother hung up on me, and according to the postcard my mom gave me Mimi’s in Hawaii." He sighed. "We used to be such a team."

"What about Sora?" Lexx asked.

"Oh . . . Sora? She’s . . . uh, kinda not speaking to me."

Jenn smirked. "What did you do, Tai?" she drawled.

"I didn’t do anything! I can’t believe she’s still mad at me!" The Digi-Destined leader covered his face with one hand. "This whole thing started over a lousy hair clip!"

Lexx just looked perplexed, but Jenn was obviously trying very hard not to laugh. Tai, fed up, stood from the floor. "I’m going to go see how far Diaboromon’s destruction reached. Hang tight you guys." He too left the computer room.

On the other side of the connection, Lexx rolled her eyes. "Swell. Now what do we do?"

"Wait for them to get back, I guess," Jenn sighed, sitting back and rubbing her shoulders. "I’m getting stiff sitting on the floor like this, hunched over a laptop." Just then her stomach gurgled, and she checked her watch. "Man, it’s already midnight! All this action is making me hungry."

"Too bad there’s nothing. . . ." Lexx’s voice trailed off when she realized they were locked in a movie theater.

Jenn grinned as she realized the same thing. "Wanna raid the lobby?" she asked. The two girls left the laptop in the aisle and headed for the doors of the room.

"But isn’t that kinda stealing?" the black-haired girl couldn’t help but ask.

"We’re trying to save a world here, Lexx!" insisted Jenn. She pushed open the doors and hopped behind the counter, pulling open the popcorn machine. The smell of butter-coated, salty popcorn assaulted both of them. Scooping the still-warm snack food into two bags, she handed one to Lexx as she continued. "We deserve sustenance at least. And besides, with all the excitement that happened here earlier, I doubt anyone is going to notice some missing popcorn." She munched some of the crunchy kernels and leaned against the glass counter.

Her friend looked surprised, but popped some into her mouth too. "What excitement?" she asked as she swallowed.

"That’s right, you weren’t here yet!" Jenn nodded, just remembering now. "I heard the ushers talking about it while I was waiting for you. Apparently the last showing of Digimon: The Movie developed ‘technical difficulties.’ There was a boy looking for his mom in the lobby who told me lightning bolts were shooting everywhere. Caused quite a panic. I’m guessing that’s when the portal opened and sucked Cunomon and Foxi into the movie world. Didn’t you notice how the movie theater was closing early? Ten o’clock isn’t exactly normal closing time for a theater."

"I had some other things on my mind," Lexx reminded her. "But if it was so dangerous, like you said, why didn’t they call the police and stuff? Or the news?"

Jenn shrugged. "I think they’re trying to keep it quiet, so they won’t get in trouble. I saw them giving refunds and free passes to the people who were in the theater. Then they closed down real quick. You and I sneaked in just in time." She finished off her popcorn and tossed the bag in the garbage can next to the counter.

Lexx did too, then they both returned to the room with the faintly glowing movie screen. Familiar voices came from the laptop on the floor.

"Well, do you know what a semiconductor is?"

"A guy who works part-time on a train?"

"Never mind."

"You’re back!" cried Jenn, sitting back down in front of the mini computer with Lexx.

"So’re you!" returned Tai, grinning from the window showing the two boys. "And Izzy’s gonna hook us back up to the ‘Net!"

"All right!" cheered Lexx. Though she was sure the four Rookies would keep out of the Ultimate’s way, she was still worried and anxious to check in on them.

"It’s gonna take a minute," the boy in the orange shirt reported, tapping away on his keyboard. "In the meantime, check the messages to see if anyone called back."

"Oh! I forgot!" Tai snatched up the phone once again, and the two girls watched as Tai and Izzy listened in. "It’s Matt!" Izzy told them.

"I knew somebody on the team would pull through," Tai grinned, punching in a number to leave a new message.

"And what are we, chopped liver?" Jenn demanded, but the boys weren’t listening. Matt and T.K. must have been waiting by their phone, because another message came back almost immediately. "Dum dee dum. Guess we’ll just sit here while they play phone tag," muttered the girl.

"At least we have help to fight Infermon now," Lexx pointed out.

"Matt and T.K. are searching for a computer," Izzy told them, hanging up the phone. The sound of the computer dialing for the Internet came on. "The uplink’s working! We’re back online!"

Lexx typed furiously, and a window showing the status of the four Digimon popped up on the screen. "We’re back up too!" she exclaimed happily. But her face fell a moment later. The four Digi-Destined Digimon were showing all right, but. . . .

"Hey, where’s Infermon?" Jenn asked, hitting the nail on the head.

Izzy started typing. "He’s left the phone company," he reported tersely. "He’s . . . in America!"

Lexx blinked. "America? What the heck is he doing over there?"

"Taking a tour of the White House?" smirked Jenn. Both girls had originally lived in the United States, and had moved to Japan. The thought of a dangerous virus Digimon running around in their hometowns was unsettling.

"We’ve got another e-mail!" Tai announced. " ‘I’m close to him.’ Close to who?"

"I don’t want to know," groaned Lexx.

"Bill Gates," the other female snickered.

Lexx rolled her eyes. "Jenn, this is serious," she insisted.

"You’re right, you’re right. Sorry."

"It looks like he’s in the New York systems," Izzy muttered, reading information as it scrolled across his screen. "He’s eaten all the data at Kennedy Airport and he’s heading for the subway system.

"Good! That’ll definitely slow him down," Tai nodded. "That gives Matt and T.K. time to get to a computer and send Gabumon and Patamon to help."

Just then the computer bleeped. Yet another window popped up on both Lexx’s laptop and Tai’s father’s computer screen. Two familiar blond faces appeared.

"Matt!" gasped Jennifer.

The boy in the dark red shirt looked confused. "Er . . . do I know you?"

Jenn looked shocked, but covered it up a moment later.

"Long story," cut in Tai. "They’re Digi-Destined. They’re here to help!" He left out the part about them being from another dimension for now. They had no idea when or where Infermon would attack next. No time for chitchat!

"We’ve got the digi-vices!" T.K. put in helpfully.

"All right!" said Tai. "We’ll tell Gennai to upload Gabumon and Patamon onto the ‘Net!"

"You can do that?" marveled Matt.

Lexx was about to explain about the battle the four Rookies had had with Keramon, and later Infermon, but suddenly an unfamiliar voice came over the line.

"That sounds like fun. Usually I just play solitaire on that thing," a somewhat dopey voice said from the background. The thing was, Lexx couldn’t figure out which window it was coming from. She had three going simultaneously on the laptop screen. It occurred to her that if she tried to do too many things at once, the system might crash. It was an older model, after all.

The strange voices continued. "Careful Floyd! You almost cut my ear off!"

"Kids are so smart these days."

"I still can’t set the timer on my VCR!"

By the embarrassed grimaces on Matt’s and T.K.’s faces, it was soon apparent where the voices were coming from.

". . . .Uh, Matt? Who are those weird people?" Jenn asked.

"They’re not weird. They’re my best friends!" he retorted, mustering an offended look. With a more hushed tone he added, "Considering this is the only computer in town!"

The other four Digi-Destined snickered.

"Gennai’s transfer of the Digimon is almost complete," Tai told them, and everyone was serious again. It was time for battle!

"Hang in there, Cuno," muttered his dark-haired partner. She glanced at Jenn as the other girl gave her shoulder a reassuring squeeze.

"You hang in there too, Lexx. Our Digimon will show Infermon a thing or three."

"Yeah!" Tai grinned. "That bug better watch out, because a whole lotta digi-raid is heading his way, with an attitude!"

* * *

"Well, here we go again!" Cunomon announced gamely. He was still enjoying the sensation of sailing down the Internet tunnels, all four feet off the ground. Not that there was much ground. He turned to bestow a smile on his orange and cream-furred "date." "We’re gonna kick some digi-tail, right Foxi?"

She grinned back. "Right beside you, Cuno."

Tentomon, although he didn’t have a real expressive face, still somehow looked exasperated. "Not to butt in, but were Izzy and Tai unsuccessful in finding anyone else?"

"I guess so," Agumon answered, but he looked more determined than ever. "The four of us will just have to try to beat that thing by ourselves."

Suddenly the tunnel widened considerably. "Sorry we’re late," a blue and white-furred canine called out.

"I was surfing the ‘Net and I wiped out!" joked the winged Digimon with him. "Hey, you guys must be the help!"

"We’re here to serve," Foximon quipped.

"Hey, Gabumon!" A row of windows along the top of the tunnel sprang into life. Matt’s eyes were wide and excited as he hailed his old friend.

"Patamon!" cried T.K. in greeting.

"Say hello later," Izzy commanded.

Lexx was next. "Yup. We’ve got work to do!"

As the windows vanished Tentomon helped himself to furthering the narration. "Keep your arms and wings inside the ride at all times!" he exclaimed.

Jenn’s voice filtered into the ‘Net. "Keep focused, you guys!" Then there wasn’t time for warnings or jokes or encouragement, because the tunnel ended and a world of steel girders and beams filled their vision. Somewhere amongst all this was their foe.

The six Rookies fanned out, searching warily, bobbing this way and that. They didn’t want to be taken by surprise by the virus Ultimate.

"There!" Gabumon called out. The others converged on him as the red and white spider Digimon was revealed. A spinning window whirled beside him.

"I’m looking for the programmer," snarled Infermon. "Don’t interfere!"

The Digi-Destined appeared in their own windows. "He’s teasing us!" said Lexx.

"Oh yeah? Then let’s get him!" Tai shouted.

"It’s time to digi-volve!"

Agumon and Gabumon surged forward as the others fell back.

"Gabumon. . . ."

"Agumon. . . ."

"Warp digi-volve to. . . ."

"WarGreymon!"

"MetalGarurumon!"

"Whoo! Kick tail, guys!" Foximon cheered, swishing her big tail. The Mega Digimon sailed through the Internet world after Infermon, who was making a hasty exit. Matt and Tai, along with the other children and their Rookie Digimon, watched in anticipation as WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon swooped down from above Infermon and sent him reeling with well-placed blows.

"All right!" exclaimed Tai.

T.K. looked to his little friend. "Patamon, you’d better digi-volve!" he said, convinced this battle wasn’t going to be as easy as it looked.

"Right," nodded Patamon in agreement. "Patamon digi-volve to. . . ."

But T.K. was right. From down below Infermon saw the chance to strike and leapt upward. The spider tucked in his legs, becoming a shooting missile. "Infermon digi-volve to . . . Diaboromon."

The Digimon’s voice deepened into a throaty growl as an evil-looking black Digimon took his place. Before Patamon could finish his transformation Diaboromon thundered, "Cable Crusher!" Like a whip, his arm snapped out and a hand topped with razor-sharp claws slammed into the little winged Rookie.

"Look out, Patamon!" T.K. cried in horror as his Digimon was hurled and pinned against one of the metal girders.

"We’ll save him!" Tentomon, Cunomon and Foximon yelled bravely, diving down on the Mega. The three Rookies were slapped away and sent spinning into the wide Internet world by Diaboromon’s other hand. Their human partners called to them, but they were weakened by the strong attack of the virus Digimon.

Diaboromon still had Patamon pinned to one of the beams. T.K.’s window appeared next to him. "Patamon, are you all right? Speak to me! Get up! Say something!" But the little creature’s eyes were closed, and he was unmoving.

* * *

As the customers of the barbershop watched in consternation, the little blond boy shouted at the computer, tears in his eyes. "I’m coming, Patamon!" he wailed. "I’ll come get you!"

Matt was torn by his younger sibling’s pain, and well knew what it felt like to have your Digimon hurt and you unable to do anything about it. "T.K.," he said gently, "you can’t. But he can!" On the screen MetalGarurumon snarled angrily and charged at Diaboromon.

* * *

"Wipe him out!" Tai called from his window as the two Digi-Destined Megas attacked.

"Ice Wolf Bite!" MetalGarurumon’s full impressive arsenal exploded toward Diaboromon.

The virus abandoned his hold on Patamon, who floated unconscious as Diaboromon evaded most of the missiles fired at him. He burst from the coating of ice the attack covered him in, then retaliated with a blast from the cannon on his chest. "Red Wrecker!"

The three Megas moved farther and farther away, drawn away from Patamon by MetalGarurumon and WarGreymon. While they were distracted in battle, Tentomon, Cunomon, and Foximon swooped in and circled the little guy protectively.

T.K.’s window still hovered by his Digimon. "Is he okay?" he whimpered fearfully.

"He was hit pretty bad," Foximon murmured, giving the knocked-out Digimon a gentle shake. He remained unresponsive.

"Patamon, open your eyes!" T.K. pleaded.

For a moment there was silence. No one moved, including Patamon. "He needs someone to watch over him," was Tentomon’s opinion. He didn’t like the fact that one of their number was down while three Megas-level Digimon fought not that far away.

"Absolutely," Cunomon agreed with a sly grin. "Thanks for volunteering. C’mon, Foxi."

"What?" Tentomon exclaimed as the two Rookies began to leave. "Hey, that’s not what I meant!" The little bug waved his sickle-hands in agitation.

"When Patamon wakes up, he’ll feel better with a friend," Foximon assured the insect Digimon before following Cunomon.

"Well, when you put it that way. . . ." grumbled Tentomon, but he took up a protective stance that said he took this job seriously.

"I’ll be back soon, Patamon," T.K. swore. His window disappeared, leaving Tentomon and his charge alone. The Mega battle had moved far into the distance, and Cunomon and Foximon were rapidly sailing away.

* * *

Lexx was finding it difficult to keep track of three windows at once, and by Jenn’s frustrated mutterings she was too. The largest depicted WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon as they fought Diaboromon; the smaller two showed the four Digi-Destined boys shouting encouragement to their friends. T.K. was frantic about something, but she couldn’t tell what it was.

"Where are the other Digimon?" she asked the girl next to her.

Jennifer admitted she was just as clueless. "Something’s wrong," she said lowly. "They’re too slow!" Lexx’s green eyes darted back to the screen. She still couldn’t see the Rookies, but the two Megas were behaving slower than usual, and Diaboromon easily sidestepped their attacks.

"What’s going on?" the black-haired girl wondered. Her mind searched for an answer at lightning speed. Maybe they were reacting badly to the interaction with the Internet?

Jenn gasped, and Lexx once again focused on the laptop. One of the windows was gone!

"What happened to Tai and Izzy?" Jenn demanded frantically. "They’re window just disappeared!"

"What were they doing?" demanded Lexx.

"I don’t know! I was watching the fight!"

"Tai, where’d you go?" Matt asked from his window. "WarGreymon has practically stopped moving!" It was true. On the screen the orange Digimon—who had lost the armor coverings of his arms and hands somehow in the fight—could only float amongst the debris the battle had kicked up.

"MetalGarurumon too!" Jenn gasped, pointing to the likewise still wolf.

Diaboromon gave a low, gravelly chuckle on the screen, circling the two Megas warily. He was waiting to see if this was some sort of a trap. And when he found out it wasn’t, he was going to finish them off.

T.K. suddenly leaned forward. "We’ve got an e-mail!" he said, at the same time one popped up on the screen of Lexx’s laptop.

"We’ve got it too," affirmed Lexx. "It says, ‘Do you think the likes of you can defeat me?’" Jenn deleted it with disgust. No sense talking with the virus.

"I’m liking this less all the time," muttered Matt, his eyes fastened on Diaboromon, waiting to see what he would do.

The black Mega laughed, and the sound curled the stomach of all four Digi-Destined watching. He had made up his mind about something. And it wasn’t good. "Red Wrecker!" WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon never had a chance. The blasts slammed into them just as Izzy and Tai’s window popped back into existence. As the two boys stared in shock at the deeply injured Digimon, Diaboromon laughed once more, then called up an exit tunnel and slipped away.

"WarGreymon!" Tai cried, not caring a bit about the evil virus.

"Hey guys, where were you?" Matt’s voice was heavy with defeat over the speaker. "You sure picked a lousy time to take a lunch break."

Tai was barely listening. "What happened to him? WarGreymon! WarGreymon?"

A low groan came from the great Digimon. "Tai . . . I can’t move!"

Two more gasps came from the main window, and Lexx and Jenn let out sighs of relief as Cunomon and Foximon glided into view.

"What took you two so long?" demanded Jennifer.

"Patamon’s hurt," her Digimon explained tensely. "Tentomon’s watching after him. We came as soon as we could!"

"Obviously not fast enough," muttered Cunomon, edging up to the damaged form of WarGreymon. The little Rookie floated next to the Mega’s head. "What happened to him?"

"Diaboromon happened," muttered Lexx. "Something’s slowing them down! If we’re going to have a chance at stopping him, we have to figure out what’s causing this and fix it. We—whoa! Hold on a sec, Cuno."

He nodded. "We’ll keep an eye on things here."

The girl’s attention had been caught by one of the other windows on the screen. At first she thought she was seeing things, but . . . Tai was attacking Izzy! "Tai, what are you doing!?" she cried.

"I was reading an e-mail from another kid!" shouted the redhead, staring the goggled boy in the eye angrily.

"Well you didn’t have to read it so well!" Tai snarled back, releasing his hold on Izzy’s shirt.

"Hey you two, this isn’t a time to be fighting!" Matt interrupted.

"Yeah, like we don’t have more important things to worry about!?" Jenn seconded.

"Stupid e-mails," grumbled Tai, turning back to his father’s computer. Just in time, too, as yet another e-mail from Diaboromon appeared.

" ‘Who can count backwards from ten?’ What’s that supposed to mean? Is he giving us a math test?"

"Yes, I’m sure that’s exactly what he’s doing," Jenn said sarcastically. Her snide expression fell as a giant red counter suddenly filled the laptop screen, blocking out the two windows of the Digi-Destined and the main one of the Digimon. The connection was still there though, as evidenced by Matt’s voice.

"Hey, what’s with the timer?"

Another situation presented itself, as the image of Diaboromon behind the timer split in two, and then again into fours.

"He’s making copies of himself! Multiplying!" Tai warned.

Lexx groaned. "This can’t be good."

"Is anything about this situation good?" came Izzy’s voice.

"Good point."

"Well, too bad it gets worse. The USA just launched two nuclear missiles!"

"What!?" Jenn and Lexx exclaimed together.

"Are they going to hit us?" T.K. worried.

Izzy explained the predicament quickly. "Willis says the government has no explanation for it, but he found out Diaboromon’s in the Pentagon’s computers! I hope I didn’t lead him there with my satellite uplink. One’s heading to Colorado, and the other’s zeroing in on us! They’re going to land in less than ten minutes!"

"That explains the timer," sighed Matt.

"If those missiles hit, thousands of people are going to die," Lexx whispered fearfully.

Tai’s angry glare could be heard in his words, even if it couldn’t be seen. "Not like you have anything to worry about!"

"That doesn’t mean I don’t care!" she shot back.

"Can’t the military stop it?" T.K. cut in desperately.

"Every country is trying to intercept them, including Japan. But Diaboromon’s thought of that already. He’s infiltrated their computers and is rerouting them to land harmlessly in the ocean near Hawaii. And the e-mails are coming in again." He sighed, reading a few of them.

"I’m trying to save the world, and you’re reading fan mail!" Tai exclaimed, exasperated.

"Maybe the question we should be asking isn’t how to stop the missiles, but how to stop Diaboromon," Lexx pointed out. "Wouldn’t that stop the counter?"

"That’s right!" Izzy shouted. "If we could destroy the original, that should work!"

"Well, how many are there so far then?" asked Matt.

Izzy groaned. "Oh no. . . ."

"Spit it out, Izzy!" Tai demanded impatiently. "How many are there?"

". . . .There are over seventy-five thousand and counting."

Heavy silence descended over all three pairs as the impossibility of the situation sunk in.

Something gave a low groan. At first it seemed to the girls like a sound of despair, but that was proven false as WarGreymon coughed and spoke. "Tai. . . ." he gasped. "Tai, have faith. I’ll find the original."

Lexx typed away at the keyboard and the screen with the counter and Diaboromon copies minimized, revealing the three other windows underneath. There was WarGreymon, his armor badly cracked, but moving. Barely.

"I’ll help you," vowed MetalGarurumon. Both Megas wearily righted themselves.

"We’ll help too!" insisted Cunomon. "Lexx!"

"Jenn!" Foximon added.

"We need to digi-volve!" they finished together.

* * *

In the Internet world, it was obvious to both Rookies that WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon needed help. They could hardly move, let alone fight!

"They’ll need someone to watch their backs," said the little dragon Digimon to the fox.

"And we’re the only ones here," she agreed.

"We’re ready!" Jenn and Lexx’s windows appeared, and were replaced with images of their digi-vices.

"Cunomon digi-volve to. . . !"

"Foximon digi-volve to. . . !"

"Sartomon!"

"Glorymon!"

A twilight-colored dragon with wings like the night sky and a humanoid figure with a fox tail and green, leafy clothes took up position on either side of the two Megas. Before the four Digimon a wide exit tunnel, like the kind the virus Digimon had used, opened.

Izzy’s window appeared. "WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon are so slow," he murmured, thinking. Suddenly a look of shock passed over his face. "It’s because of all the e-mails!" he gasped, finally stumbling onto the answer.

Jenn’s window popped into existence and she smacked herself in the forehead. "That’s right! It was the e-mails! Why can’t I ever remember anything important?"

"They’re slowing down the Digimons’ processing speed!" Izzy continued. "I’ve got to write to everyone and tell them to stop e-mailing us until our Digimon are up to full strength!"

Tai’s window was next. "Are you crazy, Izzy? Do you know how long that will take?"

"It’s the only chance we’ve got," Lexx responded grimly. "But Tai’s right; we don’t have the time. There’s only about seven minutes left on the timer!"

"Then we’d better get moving!" Sartomon growled, and the four Digimon plunged into the tunnel that would take them to their enemy.

* * *

In a dark movie theater, two girls watched as their Digimon were about to take part in a battle that, to them, had happened four years ago.

* * *

In another dimension, two boys sat in a city apartment and watched as wave after wave of e-mails poured into a small yellow laptop.

* * *

In a tiny village barbershop, two brothers watched the screen in intense concentration, not daring to think of what might be the outcome of this adventure.

* * *

And all around the world, people of every nationality, every color and language and background, watched four creatures who were their planet’s only hope.

* * *

As the multicolored corridor ended, the four Digimon found themselves surrounded in darkness.

"Er . . . who turned out the lights?" muttered Sartomon. This was the darkest he had ever seen this Internet world. Usually it was bright white and full of color.

Glorymon cocked her head, listening to a low repeating sound. She couldn’t identify it, but it made her shiver with dread. "This place gives my Goosemon bumps," she murmured softly. Together the Digimon slowly floated out into the middle of the mammoth room.

WarGreymon looked to the left and right, staring suspiciously. His green eyes widened. "Their copies! Copies of Diaboromon!" he rumbled in alarm.

Sartomon groaned. "Swell." He could now make out the many voices of the virus copies, repeating the same words over and over again, overlapping and distorting.

"Don’t interfere . . . don’t interfere . . . don’t interfere. . . ."

Behind the four Digimon, six windows blipped open. "How many are there now?" Matt wondered desperately.

"To be honest, I don’t know," Izzy returned. "I stopped keeping track a while ago. It’s gotta be well over a million!"

Sudden silence fell, as the "well over a million" Diaboromon copies stopped talking and zeroed in on the Megas and Champions in the center of the room. The cannons in their chests began to glow.

"Digi-volve again!" screamed Jenn and Lexx.

"Sartomon digi-volve to. . . !"

"Glorymon digi-volve to. . . !"

The dragon reared up on his hind legs, body twisting and changing. His body and wings lightened, from navy blue and black to a lighter shade and sky blue. His spines disappeared, and a wild mane of red head flowed down his neck. A leather sash crossed his chest. Bandanas appeared around his arm, wrist and tail.

"DracoSartomon!"

Glorymon’s green outfit flowed into a beautiful silver dress, her hair bleaching into the same color. Her humanoid face pushed outward, becoming a muzzle. Lastly, her pupils faded away, leaving pure silver orbs.

"PolarGlorymon!"

The Diaboromon copies attacked.

The children’s windows closed as the four Digimon leaped to evade the powerful blasts. Spinning, dodging, darting, they danced between the meteors of energy hurling at them. DracoSartomon yanked the sword of energy from his back with a cry of, "Blade of the Dragon!" Whenever a Red Wrecker got too close he slashed at it with his sword.

Waves of snow and hail flowed from PolarGlorymon, as if she were suddenly caught in a blizzard. The blasts that shot her way were wrapped up in the snow and ice and frozen. "Polar Ice Storm!"

Then a roar of pain caught their attention, and they turned just in time to see MetalGarurumon hit several times. The armored wolf howled and disappeared into a thick cloud of smoke.

"MetalGarurumon!" The Digi-Destined windows were back. Tai gasped as WarGreymon was hit just like the other Mega had been.

"WarGreymon has started to slow down again!" T.K. cried.

"It’s the e-mails." Izzy’s voice was tense. "They’re coming in faster than ever!"

"Then stop them!" Jenn urged, watching as PolarGlorymon narrowly missed being struck.

"He can’t. The only way to stop getting e-mails is to disconnect, and if he does the Digimon will lose their connection to the Internet and stop moving entirely, like last time." Lexx shut her eyes against the sight of DracoSartomon fighting for his life, desperately trying to think of something that would help.

"They’re sitting ducks out there!" yelled Tai.

The two Ultimates saw the Megas getting pounded by wave after wave of attacks. Without hesitation they flew to help. Unable to see anything within the clouds of smoke caused by the attacks, PolarGlorymon and DracoSartomon still plunged right in. And didn’t come out.

"PolarGlorymon!" gasped Jenn.

"DracoSartomon!"

Sensing victory, the viruses stopped their attacks. The dust settled.

Four broken figures floated dead in space.

* * *

"WarGreymon," Tai whimpered, watching his blackened, still Digimon. Sweat dripped from his temple. His brown eyes watered. This could not be happening. This could not be happening! Jenn and Lexx wouldn’t have sent their Digimon to fight the copies, just so all four could be destroyed . . . would they?

"Our presence might change the outcome of this whole thing!" Isn’t that what Lexx had said?

"WarGreymon," the boy whispered again. Nothing else existed to him. Not Izzy, not the e-mails, not the girls who were somehow contacting them from another dimension. The only thing that mattered was his Digimon. And how he had let him down.

"I’ve . . . got to help. There . . . must be a way . . . somehow." Like one possessed, Tai held his hands up to the computer. Perhaps, if he somehow wished hard enough, everything would be all right. . . .

"More juice, Izzy? I just squeezed some onions!" Tai’s mother popped her head into the room.

The redhead barely heard her. He was more concerned with trying to stop the flow of e-mails. He hadn’t even noticed the Digi-Destined Digimon’s defeat and Tai’s reaction. In his mind, he had to work as quickly as possible to give the Digimon a chance of winning.

"No thanks. I’m rerouting incoming data from the remote server into local memory. . . ." He wasn’t even paying attention to what he said.

"Oops. I’ll just leave you two alone . . . wait a minute! Where did Tai go?"

* * *

In the world of the Internet, one dark room was suddenly filled with four shining lights. Windows angled downward provided this light, along with four figures. Gently, like snowflakes, they floated downward and settled on the four still forms below them.

Tai gasped, feeling the Internet air flow in and out of his lungs. "WarGreymon. I’m here!" he called softly, grasping the silent Digimon’s red hair.

"MetalGarurumon." Matt laid a hand on the wolf’s metal-encased neck. "Wake up. Don’t give up now. Why won’t he answer me, Tai?" He didn’t look away from his Digimon.

"Keep trying, Matt."

"PolarGlorymon!" Jenn ran her hand slowly through a cascade of silvery hair. "You have to get up. You have to keep fighting! We’ve faced tougher things than this before, remember?"

"DracoSartomon, listen to me," sobbed Lexx. "This entire world is counting on us. We can’t let them down. I need you!" She hugged one of the horns on his head tightly.

"Listen," Tai spoke urgently to WarGreymon. "I don’t have a whistle to wake you, but I want you to know you’re not alone! Okay? And the mail keeps coming. It won’t stop!" He blinked as his vision began to tear. "Kids from all over the world are writing to you. They need your help. You’re the only one who can do it. Feel their hope. Feel their strength!"

WarGreymon’s head twitched as he coughed. "I . . . feel them," he groaned. The eyeholes of his helmet lit up with yellow light.

"Look at that!" Lexx gasped to Jenn, pointing. The brown-haired girl’s head craned around one way, then the other.

All around them, thousands of windows flooded the room, climbing the walls higher and higher, blocking the many Diaboromon copies. Thousands of e-mails! WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon regained their feet. With Tai and Matt trying to steady themselves, the two Megas began to grow. The boys—their expressions ones of amazement—moved to the Digimons’ helmets as their data broke up and shot inward. Large arms rose from the helmets.

Jenn and Lexx were staring in unabashed astonishment as data started to flow from the e-mails along the walls. Glowing shapes of children floated toward the half-transformed Digimon and their Digi-Destined. The ones closer to the Ultimates settled over them like a golden blanket, filling Jenn and Lexx with warmth and strength. For them it was past one o’clock in the morning, but suddenly they were no longer tired or hungry. The cuts and burned marks covering PolarGlorymon and DracoSartomon vanished under the light of the e-mail data.

In the center of the room, the data had collected into an egg of pure white light. The virus copies growled uncertainly, shifting and making the walls ripple. Slowly, the egg disintegrated, and a new Digimon was revealed under it, as if hatching.

The e-mails on the walls, their task complete, began to disappear. Behind them floated two windows.

"Part WarGreymon. . . ." Izzy marveled.

"Part MetalGarurumon. . . ." T.K. added.

"They combined to become Omnimon!" Lexx and Jennifer said together. DracoSartomon and PolarGlorymon were again on their feet. Lexx rode on the top of her giant Digimon’s head, between his horns. PolarGlory, who wasn’t large enough for that, floated beside her Digi-Destined and took her hand, smiling.

The Diaboromon attacked. Thousands of missiles heading straight toward Omnimon, with Matt and Tai perched on his shoulders!

"Transcended Sword!" shouted the new Digimon. One of his hands, the one that was once WarGreymon, split and a long metal sword extended.

"They’re coming at him from all sides," growled DracoSartomon. "He’ll need help."

"I concur," agreed PolarGlorymon. "Jenn, remain here."

"That goes for you too, Lexx. Too dangerous." He lifted his Digi-Destined gently and placed her beside Jenn.

The two girls shared a look, floating well out of the way of the action, as their Digimon took off toward the target of the missiles. DracoSartomon readied his own sword. Together the two Ultimates took up position directly behind Omnimon.

"We’re here to watch your back," DracoSartomon announced.

"Thanks." That was all Omnimon could get out before Diaboromon’s Red Wrecker attacks hit. With a swing of his sword, Omnimon wiped out the missiles in front of him. DracoSartomon and PolarGlorymon took out the ones behind. Then the three Digimon turned their attention to the legions of Diaboromon.

"Supreme Cannon!" Omnimon fired again and again at the walls.

"Ice Wing!" DracoSartomon roared. Two beams of sky blue energy shot from his wings.

"Northern Lights!" called PolarGlorymon. She threw her hands above her head and a cascade of color, every shade of the rainbow, exploded outward.

The Diaboromon were going crazy, crawling all over the walls and each other in their haste to escape the repeated attacks from the three Digi-Destined Digimon. Explosions covered the walls from top to bottom. Soon the areas of black were the minority, and the true white walls shone through.

And then there was only one Diaboromon left.

"Tai, there’s the original!" Izzy’s voice cried out. "Get him; we’re running out of time!" There was barely veiled panic in his voice.

"Omnimon! Quick! Attack!"

Diaboromon growled and leaped away. Omnimon turned, but he was already away again. DracoSartomon and PolarGlorymon came at him from opposite sides, but he ducked and darted in another direction.

"Where is he?" Tai demanded. He was moving too fast to keep an eye on.

"One minute to go!" came Izzy’s insistent voice.

"He keeps moving!" Tai shouted back. "Every time we get him in our sights he jumps somewhere else! He’s too fast for us!"

On the other side of the vast room, Jenn and Lexx intertwined their hands and squeezed for comfort.

* * *

In a small apartment building, a boy sitting in front of a computer frowned and fretted. We have the power to destroy him now, but we don’t have the time, he thought. Willis was right. We have to find some way to slow down Diaboromon!

"Thirty seconds left!" T.K. wailed from across the connection.

Izzy gasped. "The e-mails! If I forward him all the e-mails it’ll slow him down just like it did us! Keep sending them kids!" He leaped for his laptop and pounded commands into the keyboard.

"You’ve got mail!" he shouted, punching one last button.

* * *

Chuckling evilly to himself, Diaboromon began to skitter up one of the walls. The three Digimon collected together as he turned to them, but suddenly he froze! A flashing hourglass blinked above him as the Digimon struggled to move. He couldn’t accomplish more than jiggling in place.

PolarGlorymon and DracoSartomon backed off. "Finish him, Onmimon," the fox maiden murmured.

"Ten seconds left!" Tai shouted, and Omnimon drew his sword and dove toward the trapped Mega-level Digimon.

Diaboromon managed to turn, to face his incoming attacker. His chest barrel began to glow as he powered up for one last attempt at triumph.

Omnimon cleaved the evil Digimon virus’s skull in half.

For a moment time seemed to stop. Then Diaboromon—with a last moan of "Willis. . . ."—melted away, revealing a clock impaled onto the wall by Omnimon’s sword. It was caught one second before twelve.

* * *

Izzy couldn’t take it anymore. He bolted for the sliding glass door and hung his head over the balcony, panting with relief. One mere second longer, and the world would have. . . .

"I’m . . . about . . . to barf," wheezed the boy.

* * *

In the Internet, eight friends clustered close together in the center of the vast room. The only evidence that a great battle had just took place here was a broken clock hanging on the wall.

"Thanks for watching our backs there," Agumon said, shaking claws with Cunomon. "We’re glad to know there are Digi-Destined watching over all the worlds, and not just ours."

"Yeah," the little blue dragon grinned. "Who knows what you guys would do without me?"

"Ahem." Foximon nudged him. "A little modesty never hurt anyone, Cuno."

"Speak for yourself!" he chuckled.

Lexx laughed, and Jenn joined in. Matt and Tai just looked confused, but they smiled.

"Well, we saved the world once again." Tai wiped his hands briskly. "I guess this means you guys are heading back, huh?"

"As much fun as this dimension is, I think I’m homesick already," answered Lexx. Her expression turned sheepish. "Um, sorry for getting all mixed up in your timeline," she apologized. "We’re lucky it all worked out."

"Will you shut up with all the movie talk? You’re creepin’ me out!" Tai grinned to show he was kidding. He shook Lexx’s hand, mirroring Agumon’s earlier action.

Matt cocked his head, studying Jenn. "You . . . uh, never answered me, when I asked if you knew me," he told her. The blond looked uncomfortable and curious at the same time.

Jenn smiled. "Like Tai said, it’s a long story. But . . . well, ah, yeah. I know you. I mean, not you but—" She broke off, giggling, and he smiled.

Saving the two from any more embarrassing conversation, three exit tunnels suddenly sprang to life around them. Above one was a window showing Gennai, Biyomon, Tentomon, Palmon, Gomamon, Patamon, and Gatomon, just like the window that appeared on Izzy’s laptop. They were waving excitedly. Above the second one a window was split, displaying a barbershop and an apartment room. Above the third revealed an empty movie theater.

"I was wondering how we were going to get home," commented Foximon.

Gabumon waved back to the window full of Digimon. "It looks like Patamon and Tentomon made it back all right as well," said the canine.

Matt suddenly hugged his Digimon. "I’m going to miss you, Gabumon."

"You too, Agumon," Tai sighed. "But we know you have to get back to protect the Digiworld."

"Meanwhile, we’ll keep our eyes on these two troublesome girls," snickered Cunomon, thumping Lexx in the leg playfully. "They can be quite a handful."

"Shut up, you," laughed Lexx.

"Come on, we’d better go. My mom is going to kill me as it is." Jenn rolled her eyes and drifted toward the exit that showed the theater, Foximon by her side. She turned and waved to Matt and Tai one last time, then dove through. Lexx and Cunomon were right behind her.

"Make sure they get my good side!" Tai shouted after them. "Hey, I wonder if we’ll ever see them again?"

* * *

This tunnel was like nothing Lexx had ever experienced before. Instead of the bright colors she had seen when the Digimon traveled down them, this one was black and shot through with muted blues and purples. The wind whistled in her ears and it was hard to draw breath into her lungs. This felt less like flying and more like being propelled by some unseen force.

She looked for her friends, and could only make out a little flash of blue that was Cunomon, and further ahead two dark bodies. Then the wind that was buffeting them increased, until it was roaring all around. They were tossed to and fro, still shooting forward at incredible speeds down the dark tunnel. She thought she heard Jenn or Foximon scream.

Surprisingly, other voices joined in, confused, calling. What was going on!?

"Kokomon!" someone cried out in anguish.

The tunnel suddenly ended in a bright flash of white light. Lexx felt herself fall to the ground, then hit from behind repeatedly. She realized she was under a pile of squirming bodies.

"What was that!?" a voice she vaguely recognized asked.

"I dunno, but you wanna get off me, DemiVeemon?"

DemiVeemon!?

"Who are all of you? Where are we?"

"That’s what I’d like to know!"

It took several tries—peppered with several minutes of unanswered questions—to get everyone all untangled. Eventually, three groups stood up, panting, facing each other with bewildered expressions.

Cunomon and Foximon sat quietly in front of Lexx and Jenn, who stood in front of Lexx’s old laptop resting in the aisle of the darkened movie theater.

Five kids holding In-Training Digimon (plus one Rookie and one Champion) stood across from them, looking around in wonder.

And off to the side a blond boy with bright blue eyes held a cream and pale green rabbit creature.

For a long minute, no one said anything.

Then, unnoticed until now because of the dark room, something large shifted its weight. Towering above them, a large brown-furred thing growled, lifting one huge hand.

"No, Kokomon!" shouted the blond boy, springing to life. He waved one arm in the air. "Stop it! Leave them alone!"

The Digimon paused, its red eyes locking onto the boy and his Digimon. "Go back," rumbled Kokomon, his voice somehow a combination of a deep-voiced monster and a high, child-like cry. Then wisps of wind curled around the Digimon, and he vanished.

More silence. Then, "What the heck was that!?" Davis demanded.

Jenn groaned. "You know what this means, Lexx?"

She nodded, looking miserable. "Yup. We’re not going home for a while."

Cunomon sighed. "Grrrrreeeeeeaaat."

TO BE CONTINUED