The General of Courage Chapter 1, a digimon fanfic

And here we are with a brand new Digimon fan fiction. You'd think I'd learn when to stop with I still have Ultimate Gathering, Parent Worries, Drowning Memories, and the Digimon Detective still open and waiting to be written and finished, but sadly I happened to rewatch Xros Wars, Digimon Adventure (season 1), finally watch all of the available Digimon Adventure Tri films/episodes, and binge read the V-Tamer manga all in the same month. This is the result. The Tai in my mind basically said, "you know what would be cool? If I were to go on solo adventures like I did in V-Tamer, but instead of a Tamer, I'm a General like Taiki, and so are Takato, Takuya, and Marcus/Masaru and we end up meeting and have to travel dimensions to save the multi-verse." I both love and hate my brain right now. I had a chapter and a half finished in ONE DAY! I wish inspiration for the chapters of my other stories came to me like that.

Just as a warning, this fic is a Tai Kamiya focused story and takes place in place of Tri (though I have borrowed a few themes from the films/season). The other DigiDestined will pop up in time, but the focus is and will remain on Tai (at least in the beginning). You may have noticed that I didn't mention Davis becoming a general like Takato, Takuya, and Marcus/Masaru. That wasn't a slip. That's mostly because plot reasons, but also the fact that for the beginning of this fic, there will only be one General representing each dimension. Notice that I didn't mention Tagiru either for the same reason. So sorry Davis fans. If you want a Davis centered fic and you haven't already, go read Drowning Memories. I just posted chapter 32.

WARNING! for characters from the Adventure, Tamers and Frontier worlds, I'll be using their English Dub names and for Savers and Xros Wars, it'll be the original Japanese, like I did in Parent Worries and Ultimate Gathering, because those are the names I'm most familiar with. I have no patience for the season 5 and 6 dubs. Sorry if sticking to neither one or the other for all of them causes confusion later on. But you have been warned.

Alright, I'll save the rest for the post chapter author's notes, including a scene I cut and rewrote from this chapter, but more on that later. I hope you enjoy the first chapter of The General of Courage.

I DO NOT OWN DIGIMON ADVENTURE, O2, TAMERS, FRONTIER, SAVERS, OR XROS WARS!

Chapter 1: A New Team

Tai Kamiya sighed as he sat at the end of the soccer field. The game had ended a while ago, but he'd remained behind staring at the scoreboard. They'd won 15 to 12, but none of his friends had attended the game. They hadn't since the first few games of the season. Not even Kari or Davis came to watch anymore. Everyone was spread out so far these days even as it got closer to summer.

Joe was finishing up his first year at University, Mimi was still living in New York, Matt and his band were always busy with practices and gigs, and Izzi had an American friend that he was helping build up a firm for and was apparently being paid really well for it, meaning that Izzi already had a solid career even though he still had one more year of highschool left. Sora had started helping her mother out more at her flower shop to help save up money for college, so between that, attending Matt's concerts, and tennis practice, she didn't have a lot of free time either.

The other younger members of the team had a lot of their own things going on as well while they prepared to enter high school. TK and Kari has started dating over the last year so between school, TK's basketball team and Kari's photography club duties, they spent as much of their free time together as possible. Tai didn't know Yolei and Ken very well, but he knew that they were dating too and had similar time constraints as TK and Kari. He knew Cody even less so, but was aware that the kid was involved in kendo. None of them had ever come to one of Tai's games unless TK, Kari, and Davis were in attendance as well. And speaking of Davis, Tai's protege had begun working part time at one of Yolei's many uncle's restaurants to learn how to cook various noodle recipes (the kid had been serious about wanting to open his own noodle cart someday), so between that and his own soccer team's games and practices, he wasn't around much either.

It was a hard reality Tai was starting to face. They were all growing up and moving on. All but him, it seemed. It hadn't really hit Tai until earlier that week when he had gotten a few acceptance letters from some of the colleges he'd applied to earlier in the year (provided that he got the necessary scores on his end of term exams), that he was nearing the end of his final year of highschool and he was now expected to know what he wanted to do as an adult. He'd gone through the motions of applying to the local Tokyo universities and colleges and knew that he had plenty of opportunities to further his schooling. He even had some options if he decided to pursue playing soccer professionally, getting by on well earned sports scholarships, but did he really want to do that for the rest of his life? Tai was starting to long for the old days when all he'd needed was his friends and the Digimon.

Those were the good old days. Everyone was together and they always managed to find the time whether it was to help the Digmon in the Digital World, or just to get together and spend time with one another. Tai couldn't remember the last time they'd all done something like that. Kari was the only one he saw regularly, but she was his sister and lived with him, so did that really count? He had some classes with Sora and Matt and they usually had lunch together, but most of the time he felt like a third wheel on one of their dates. Izzi sometimes joined them for lunch when their breaks coincided, but he was usually paying more attention to his laptop these days than them.

With another sigh, Tai got back on his feet and shouldered his bag.

"Are you lonely, Child of Courage?" a voice asked.

Tai startled, nearly dropping his bag as he whirled around and stared at an orb of light that seemed to float in front of him.

"What… are you?" Tai gasped.

"I am Omegamon."

"...Omegamon?" Tai repeated.

"In this world, I would be called Omnimon."

"What?!" Tai stared at the orb as it took on the familiar form of his and Matt's DNA digivolved partner, only this guy was the size of a 12-inch action figure.

"I am not from your world's corresponding Digital World," Omegamon said. "I come from across the multiverse seeking aid in a great war, looking for human generals to help us. I have recruited four others like you, but the need for more of your kind is always great."

"Why would I agree to sign up for some war that doesn't affect my world?" Tai asked wearily.

"Because it is all you know," Omegamon answered, being brutally honest. "It is part of what you miss. Your desire for the old days in which you were leader of this world's DigiDestined and had a purpose is what brought me to you."

"Well that's a bit harsh, Omegamon," a voice said, startling Tai for a second time. "I doubt that's all Kamiya knows."

Tai turned around and saw a man in a black suit, looking as nondescript as it got. There was nothing notable about him from his black hair, average height, and sunglasses. He looked like every other man in a suit Tai'd ever seen walking the street on their way to and from their jobs.

"And you are?" Tai asked.

"Forgive me," the man said, stepping forward and offering Tai a business card. "My name is Shigure Nanase. I work for DATS."

"DATS?" Tai repeated, taking the card.

"Digital Accident Tactics Squad," Agent Nanase said. "It is an agency that was originally founded in one of the other Earths in the Multiverse, but has begun to appear in other Earths in order to help keep the peace between human and digital worlds. I am our world's Japanese representative. My job is to keep an eye on the DigiDestined in our area and troubleshoot any hardships that occur between our worlds. My agency works often with Gennai and his people to help maintain peace."

"You know Gennai?" Tai asked.

"Indeed. And when Omegamon here arrived in our world looking for a general he recommended you."

"Me? Why?"

"Because you know how to lead a team. You're experienced and are good in a fight. You are also trying to decide where your future is going," Agent Nanase said. "I am here to offer you a job opportunity."

"...What kind of job opportunity?" Tai asked.

"A job as a DATS agent of course," Agent Nanase said, smiling wryly. "We come with many benefits, including a full scholarship program that'll pay for any schooling you wish to pursue. You'd get to work with Digimon and help keep the peace between our worlds and others out there. As a DigiDestined you could also freely travel between our worlds and others in the Multiverse."

"That does sound tempting," Tai mused.

"Here is an information packet," Agent Nanase said, handing a large envelop over. "You don't need to make a decision right away, but if you have any questions just call the number on the back of my card."

Tai nodded, slipping the envelop and card into his bag.

"I hope to see you soon, Mr. Kamiya," the DATS agent said. "Come, Omegamon. We have work to do, and I'm sure you need to be returning to your dimension soon."

Omegamon huffed, but returned to the glowing ball form he'd appeared in before taking off after Agent Nanase.

"Wait!" Tai called out before the man got too far. "Omegamon said he'd recruited four others like me for his war. Were any of those my friends and were they offered jobs at DATS as well?"

"No," Agent Nanase said, turning back around to face Tai. "The four that Omegamon spoke of all come from other Earths in the Multiverse. You are the only DigiDestined in this world that we have approached."

"Why me? Why not one of the others?" Tai asked.

"Other than the fact that you have tremendous leadership skills and were an obvious first choice candidate?" Agent Nanase asked. "We haven't bothered asking the others because they have an idea of what they wish to do with their lives. Their status as DigiDestined does not fully define who they are. It is a part of them and has shaped them into who they are today, yes, but they do not let their lives revolve around it. They have normal lives and careers that they want to experience. You, however, according to our observations and research, have no definitive direction you wish to take. You are aimless right now and see no clear path to follow. I can tell that you do not wish to leave your involvement with the Digimon behind you with your childhood. Being a DigiDestined has always been a large part of your identity, whether it was as a team leader, or a mentor for the next generation. We at DATS would value your experience and knowledge on the Digital World and Digimon, and seeing as you haven't expressed an interest in any particular job field as of yet, I am taking a chance and the opportunity to recruit you."

Tai nodded.

"Take time to look over the information in the packet I gave you, think it over, and then call me in a few days," Agent Nanase said. Tai let him leave this time.

"You'd get to work with Agumon again," was Omegamon's parting shot before disappearing with the DATS agent. Well that was certainly something to consider.

When Tai got home he took a nice long shower before plopping down on his bed, the packet Agent Nanase had given him in his hands. Kari wasn't home yet (out on another date with TK no doubt) so he let everything inside the folder spill out as he upended it. Inside was a booklet that looked like any other job pamphlet he'd seen in his school counselor's office. It had a list of various job positions offered at DATS and listed a number of benefits including on-site living quarters, facilities, and healthcare and dental plans. Then there were some paper printouts with information about their on-site training programs, scholarship program and online university course options. A lot of the offered courses sounded like they'd be more Izzi's thing than his, but Tai was surprised to find some political options on the paper as well. The career option "DATS and Digital World Ambassador" was highlighted rather pointedly.

Tai spent the next couple of hours pouring over the various papers that had been inside the envelope, trying to get a feeling for what DATS was offering him. He had to admit that it was the first real career option that had been presented to him that peaked his interest.

"What are you looking at, big brother?" Kari asked.

Tai jumped, having not heard her come in. "Just looking at some career options," he muttered, gathering everything up and began putting it away in the envelope.

"What are you considering?" Kari asked, flipping over one of the papers. She blinked in surprise. "Politics?"

Tai sighed as he took the paper from her and put it in with the rest. "It came highly recommended by this new counselor I just met."

He wasn't sure why he didn't tell her about DATS. He knew that it was something she would want to hear more about, because it concerned Digimon and the Digital World, but at the same time… Agent Nanase had said that he hadn't approached any of the others because they wanted to have normal lives. Tai knew now that being normal just didn't suit him. He loved being a DigiDestined and to know that he could remain involved with the Digimon and still hold an actual job… it kind of blew his mind. He hadn't thought it was possible. And to be honest, the fact that Agent Nanase had approached only him and said that it was Tai that he wanted to come work at DATS… it made him feel special. He felt wanted and useful, and if he were being honest with himself, he hadn't felt that way in a long time.

A couple days later, after school was over, Tai waited outside his school's gate. He'd called Agent Nanase the night before and told him that he was considering taking the job. The DATS agent had informed him he'd be picked up after his school let out for the day. He didn't have to wait long before a nondescript black sedan pulled up to the curb with Agent Nanase behind the wheel. The man flashed Tai a small, but welcoming smile as Tai got into the passenger seat.

"Where are we going?" Tai asked.

"DATS HQ," Agent Nanase said. "I'd like to give you a tour of the facilities so that you might get a better idea about what we at DATS do."

They arrived a half hour later at a facility that Tai had never noticed in Odaiba before. It was on the bay and looked streamlined and modern. The inside looked like something out of those old Star Trek movies from America that Izzi liked watching, all high tech and advanced looking. The lobby was all pristine steel and glass, but past the pleasant looking receptionist, through the doors, down a few long hallways and into the room beyond, Tai felt his mouth drop open. It looked like one of Izzi's movies come to life. Computers and monitors were everywhere and there were even a few Digimon operating them with the humans. He recognized a Hagurumon and Datamon giving occasional orders to the others, which he was sure were called PawnChessmon.

"This is the situation room," Agent Nanase said. "Here we monitor all portal activities occurring between the Digital World and the Islands of the Pacific. We overlap jurisdiction in some areas with the Chinese, Russian, American, and Australian DATS operations, so we keep in contact and double check any activity that occurs in those areas. We mostly cover Japan, the Philippines, and Hawaii, but some islands under our protection extend up along the coasts of China and Russia. So as you might have seen in your packet, we offer English, Chinese, Filipino and Russian language courses as part of our training."

"Which totally makes sense to me now," Tai said.

"Let me show you the rest of the facilities," Agent Nanase said, looking amused, but pleased with Tai's reaction. "Next is the debriefing rooms and the labs."

Tai followed the DATS agent through the impressive meeting rooms, training facilities, engineering rooms, and laboratories he was sure Izzi would drool over. Then they moved onto more familiar looking spaces, like the cafeteria, rec rooms, the gym, and the on site housing his packet had told him about. Tai thought they looked better than most University diggs that he'd seen on campus tours.

"So what do you think?" Agent Nanase asked.

"I think everything you've shown me so far is amazing. I feel like I'm in a dream. Izzi would kill to work in those labs," Tai said.

"When he gets closer to his own graduation, we'll consider recruiting him," Agent Nanase said, "but right now, we're discussing you. How about it?"

"Well," Tai mused, thinking it over, "what would I be doing exactly? You never really said."

"We would register you as a trainee DATS agent," Agent Nanase said. "We'd put you through training and you can take additional course work, like you would in college, if you'd like to work on a degree. After you've completed the initial introduction training we'd officially hire you as an agent and you can be specially trained in certain fields, or you can take Omegamon up on his request for help and become one of his generals. We'd then begin sending you on small missions between our worlds and through the multiverse before you meet up with the others Omegamon's recruited from other worlds. In other words, you'd become this world's representative in the multiverse. A diplomat of sorts."

"You'd make me the representative for our world?" Tai asked. "Why not one of your other agents?"

"None of them are DigiDestined with a partner Digimon and a viable connection to our Digital World," Agent Nanase said. "Multiverse travel is only possible from the Digital World, and since none of our current agents are DigiDestined, they can't get there to travel the Multiverse. You're the only one we can send. To be honest, that is one of the main reasons I approached you."

"I see," Tai sighed, before straightening and looking at the agent in a determined fashion. "So sign me up. What do I do from here?"

"First you finish school," Agent Nanase chuckled. "You've only got a few weeks left, so you might as well finish. In the meantime though, after school, when you don't have soccer practice or games, you can call for a car and we'll bring you here and get started on your initiation training. There's a lot we need to teach you about our operations, the Multiverse and the war Omegamon spoke of. For now, we'll get you registered and your paperwork in order. One of our public workers will get in touch with your school and your parents to inform them that you've been accepted to a special University program at DATS Community College and have been offered a full scholarship. Our agency is top secret, so I'm afraid we'll have to swear you in as well. No one can know what we do here. Not even your DigiDestined friends and your family."

Tai wasn't sure how he felt about not being able to tell the others, but because DATS was a secret government organization, he understood why it had to be that way. That afternoon he was sworn in, got a bluetooth headset that would call DATS HQ when he needed a ride, and he got to have a video conference with Gennai, who requested that he turn in his digivice to get an upgrade that he'd been working on just for Tai. When asked why, Gennai had laughed and said that he'd known that there was a good chance (in other words, he had been 100% certain) that Tai would agree to join DATS so Gennai and his people had been working on a new special digivice just for him and his new duties.

Seeing Gennai (the digital dude seemed to get younger and younger every time Tai saw him) and actually talking with him made him feel a whole lot better about DATS and about not telling the others or his family about it. Especially when Gennai himself requested that he not say anything because things between their worlds were peaceful at the moment (and had been for the last three years) and there was no need to worry the others unnecessarily.

A few months later, Tai had graduated from high school, completed his introduction training, and moved into his new quarters at HQ to begin working full time at DATS. His parents and Kari thought that DATS was a community college (the Daitou Agasa Tech School), and that Tai was working on a political science major, which was kind of true because he was taking some courses online and at DATS HQ for training and to keep up appearances for his family and friends.

On his official first day as a DATS agent, Tai was presented with his new digivice by Gennai in person. It was a little surreal seeing Gennai in DATS HQ instead of on a monitor. The digivice Genna gave him was a lot bigger than his old one. It was a rectangle shape that was about the size of a handheld cordless phone. The middle third of the device had a large square screen that was the size of his old digivice. Below it was a white circular touchpad that reminded Tai of those new ipod things that were becoming popular and there were a few other buttons around that. It was white until Tai touched it and watched in awe as main body turned orange.

"This is your new Xros Loader digivice," Gennai explained. "It'll be able to carry any and all Digimon you wish to bring with you to and from worlds. At present, it only has one occupant."

"Huh?" Tai said uncomprehendingly until his device lit up and a familiar voice called his name.

"Tai!"

"Is that Agumon?!" Tai gasped.

"It is," Gennai chuckled. "To release him, you have to say, "Reload, Agumon.""

"Reload, Agumon," Tai repeated, pointing his digivice in front of him. A beam of light shot out of the Xros Loader's screen and Agumon appeared. "Awesome! It's great to see you, Agumon."

"It's great to see you too," Agumon cried as Tai kneeled to give his old partner a hug. "Gennai's told me what you're up to and I just want you to know that I'm with you one hundred percent."

"Glad to hear it," Tai said, grinning.

"Here is a manual on the new Xros Loader," Gennai said, handing a small booklet to Tai. "Unlike your old digivice, this one comes with a lot of additional functions. I borrowed the design from a couple other Digital Worlds. Mainly, the one you two will soon be fighting in."

"Right," Tai said, flipping through the book, eyes widening upon seeing the various things his new digivice could do. "Holy smokes, you weren't kidding. Maps, data analysis, Digimon Analyzer… Multiple Digimon storage… you mentioned that. What do you mean?"

"In the worlds outside our own, normal digivolving might not work depending on where you're from. The reason I needed your old digivice, Tai, was to integrate it and it's data into this new device, so that Agumon would be able to digivolve into Greymon no matter where you are. The Xros Loader is designed to work in all worlds in the Multiverse. Then when you accepted the Xros Loader, it turned orange, meaning that it became infused with your Crest of Courage, and will continue to allow Agumon to digivolve further into Metalgreymon and WarGreymon. However, whenever you travel the Multiverse, you'll be going alone," Gennai said grimly. "In the past, you've always been able to rely on your friends for back up. Out in the Multiverse you will not. You may be able to rely on the other DigiDestined from other worlds, but all you'll have beside you is whoever you take with you. Namely Agumon and any other Digimon you take into your Xros Loader and make a member of your army."

"Come again?" Tai said, staring. "Did you say army?"

"This Xros Loader allows you to have more than one Digimon partner," Gennai said. "Although Agumon will always be your main partner and the heart of your team, you'll need the strength of other Digimon to help you fight in the war raging across the multiverse. Observe."

Gennai turned to a monitor and began to pull up some footage of a boy that looked a few years younger than Tai, with bushy brown hair and a pair of round lensed goggles on his head in a similar fashion to how Tai had worn his goggles when he was younger and leader of his team of DigiDestined. Beside him was a digimon that looked like a red and more pointy version of Veemon.

"This is Taiki Kudo and his partner, Shoutmon," Agent Nanase explained. "He is one of the generals that Omegamon spoke of when we first met. It is in a Digital World very close to his own that the war is taking place. They call it the Third Xros War. Taiki Kudo is the general of the Red Fusion Fighters, an army - or team if you'd prefer - of Digimon that banned together to fight evil Digimon that threatened the peace of their world. When young Kudo was first made a general during what is known as the First Xros War, his forces and others fought against the Bagra Army. But unlike the partner Digimon in our Digital World, his Digimon partner could not digivolve like Agumon does. Instead, Kudo fuses his partner Digimon with others to make him stronger."

Tai watched as the boy on the screen reloaded a bunch of Digimon he didn't know the names of (except for one he was sure was a kind of Starmon) and cried out, "Digi-Xros!" The Digimon around the boy glowed and came together to become a transformer like Digimon named Shoutmon X4.

"Whoa," Tai gasped.

"Later on in the first war, Shoutmon gained the ability to digivolve into OmegaShoutmon," Gennai said, playing a clip of a fight that looked like it was taking place on earth instead of the Digital World against a samurai looking Digimon. The digivolution of Shoutmon into the golden OmegaShoutmon reminded Tai of when Agumon Warp Digivolved into WarGreymon. "However, as strong as OmegaShoutmon is, Taiki still needed to fuse his partner with other Digimon to finally beat Bagramon and his forces."

"So the reason I need to be able to bring other Digimon with me is because fusing is much more effective in those worlds than normal digivolving?" Tai asked.

"In a sense," Agent Nanase said.

"Remember Diaboromon?" Gennai asked.

"How could I forget?" Tai sighed.

"Did it not take WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon DNA digivolving together to defeat him that first time?" Gennai asked. "And for Exveemon and Stingmon to DNA digivolve into Paildramon Fighter Mode to defeat him the second time? And even then, Paildramon needed WarGreymon and MetalGarurumon to fuse with them in the form of a weapon to take him out. This is a very similar concept."

"I see," Tai mused. "But where do I find Digimon willing to fight with me?"

"I'm sure you'll pick some up along the way during your travels, like Taiki Kudo did," Gennai said, smiling reassuringly. "However, I do have some volunteers."

"You do?" Tai asked. "Who?"

Gennai grinned and the next image Tai saw on screen was a video feed of four Digimon he knew very well from his past adventures.

"It's Andromon and Centarumon!" Tai cried.

"And Wizardmon and Leomon," Agumon gasped.

"They all wish to help you in your travels across the Multiverse," Gennai said.

"That's awesome you guys!" Tai said. "Thank you so much."

"Are you ready for your first assignment?" Agent Nanase asked.

"Wait, already?" Tai gasped.

"It's a small task to help you get used to traveling through the Multiverse," the DATS Agent said. "I'm dispatching you to the dimension that is designated as the Tamers Dimension. I want you to deliver one of Gennai's new Xros Loaders to a Mitsuo Yamaki of Hypnos. He needs one to modify for another DigiDestined general that'll be joining you in the 3rd Xros War effort. Because our worlds are so close together in the Dimensional Corridor, you'll likely be working with his world's representative a lot."

"Alright," Tai said. "When do I need to leave?"

"Tomorrow," Gennai said. "You'll need to pack. Plan on staying in the other world for a few days. I'll debrief you more when you come to the Digital World tomorrow."

"We're giving you the rest of the day off," Agent Nanase said, "to allow you to sort out everything you might need to arrange for while you're gone."

"Meaning I'd better turn all my college course work in ahead of time," Tai sighed. "Some day off."

"I'm sure you'll do fine," Agent Nanase laughed. "Don't you usually start all your work the day it's assigned anyway?"

"So I don't forget about it, yeah," Tai grumbled. "Come on, Agumon."

Agumon only smiled up at him before following Tai back to his living quarters. It was a standard dorm room. It had a bed, a closet, and a desk. Honestly it was about the same size as his bedroom back home, only he didn't have to share it with Kari. Agumon asked him about the work he had to do for his classes, but kept quiet when Tai really needed him too (by napping). Thankfully it was a Thursday and there wasn't much work for Tai to worry about that couldn't wait for him to get back. He did most of it anyway just in case his stay in the other world ended up longer than anticipated and ended up finishing around four in the afternoon.

"So what now, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"Now we can hang out!" Tai grinned. "I could show you around if you'd like?"

"Nah, I have a feeling I'll see a lot of this place anyway," Agumon said. "Don't you want to hang out with the others? You haven't seen them in a while, right?"

Tai frowned. No he hadn't. The last time he'd seen anyone was a few weeks ago on August 1st for the anniversary, but only he, Kari, TK, Izzi, and Mimi had shown. Joe had been interning at some clinic for the summer, Matt and his band had had a gig in Hiroshima and Sora had gone with him, and Davis had to cancel, covering for a sick co-worker at Yolei's uncle's restaurant. Tai couldn't remember why Yolei, Ken, and Cody couldn't make it, but they hadn't been there either.

"Tai?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Agumon," Tai sighed. "What did you say?"

"Are you alright, Tai?" Agumon asked. "You… look very sad. Is something wrong?"

"No," Tai sighed. "Everyone is usually busy, that's all. I hadn't really seen any of them much even before joining DATS."

"Well… would it hurt to try?" Agumon asked.

"No," Tai said warily, looking at his phone. "But no one is supposed to know about DATS and what I'm doing here. If they see you, they'll want to know how you got here. For the last few years travel between the Digital World and our world is supposed to be impossible without a D3 digivice, and even then it's been hit or miss with finding an open gate. Gennai and DATS have control over all of the digi-ports, so unless they want one to open it won't. It's why none of us have been able to come visit you guys all this time since MaloMyotismon was defeated."

"I see," Agumon sighed.

Tai took in the slouched form of his partner's shoulders. He hated to see him so depressed. Tai sighed again before smiling and reaching for his cellphone. Why the hell not? Tai could say that Agumon just appeared out of his computer or something. It wasn't like they expected Tai to know how travel between their world and the Digital World worked. That was more Izzi's job. He's just have to make sure that no one saw his new digivice.

"Hi, Mr. Ishida. Is Matt home?" Tai asked. Agumon perked up instantly. "Hey, Matt. Are you free this evening? …Band practice, huh? …Nothing, just found myself with a free evening and thought I'd see what you were up to. I haven't seen you in a while. … No, I understand. Good luck with your concert this weekend. I'll see you around."

"What did he say, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"He can't," Tai sighed. "Matt's band has practice in an hour and they're getting ready for this gig they have this weekend. Sora's helping out it seems, so she'll be busy tonight as well."

Not wanting to give up, Tai called the others, but one by one the others turned him down. Joe was studying for a big test and was meeting up with a study group that night. Izzi was was packing for some weekend convention out of town. TK had a basketball game and Kari had to take pictures of the game for their school's newspaper.

"Well that was a bust," Tai sighed. "Sorry, Agumon. What do you want to do now?"

"I suppose I'll take that tour after all," Agumon said, looking equally as bummed about not getting to see the others.

So Tai showed Agumon around DATS HQ and the "community college" areas that his friends and family saw the few times they'd been over to visit. The college building was so well prepared and built that Tai wondered if DATS was planning on recruiting more DigiDestined as they got older. He'd learned that he and his team were the oldest of the known and registered DigiDestined in the world, so he was the first ever to be presented with this opportunity.

After showing Agumon around, they had dinner at the cafeteria and then headed to a nearby park. Agumon traveled in the Xros Loader until they reached an area where there was virtually no one to see them. He discreetly reloaded Agumon and put away the Xros Loader before they made their way to a section of the park Tai liked to hang out to relax.

"So how have you been, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"Alright I guess," Tai said. "I'm glad you're here though. I've missed you."

"I know. I could sense that you were lonely," Agumon said, beaming.

"Sure, buddy," Tai huffed.

"It's true!" Agumon cried. "I could tell something was wrong with you. We're partners, Tai. I know you better than anyone. I know when you're sad. I can feel it."

Tai stared down at the orange dinosaur. "What do you mean you can feel it?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it," Agumon admitted, looking sheepish. "But for as long as I can remember, I've always had a good idea of what you are feeling and it's only gotten stronger as time goes on. Recently I started feeling lonely as well even though I was with all the other Digimon. Something felt like it was missing and I knew that it had to have something to do with you. Gennai told me it was because we are bonded as partners."

"Bonded as partners?" Tai repeated, wondering what that meant. Agumon could sense his emotions? Since when? Sure, Agumon had a knack for knowing what Tai was feeling, but Tai always assumed that it was because Agumon knew him better than anyone else. He'd have to ask Gennai about it in the morning. For now he had an old friend to visit with.

He and Agumon spent their evening hanging around parts of town he could get away with letting Agumon out of the Xros Loader. He even snuck Agumon into a movie that had sounded interesting. It was while they were handing around a deserted corner of a McDonalds finishing eating dinner when Tai's bluetooth went off.

Tai sighed, clipping the headset on. "Kamiya here."

"Tai," Agent Nanase's voice said. "Are you on campus?"

"No, sir," Tai said. "I'm out with Agumon. You said I had the rest of the day off."

"How soon can you get back to campus?"

"Umm… maybe half an hour?" Tai mused, looking at his watch. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"We're not sure," the DATS agent said. "We're receiving strange readings from the Digital World and Gennai wants you to come check them out."

"I'll be right there," Tai said, hanging up and slipping the headset back into his pocket beside his phone. "Sorry Agumon, but it looks like duty calls. Ready for some possible action tonight?"

"You bet!" Agumon cried, looking as excited as Tai felt.

He reloaded Agumon into the Xros Loader and hurried back to DATS HQ. When they got there and entered the situation room Agent Nanase was waiting for him.

"What is it?" Tai asked.

"That is what we'd like for you to find out," Agent Nanase said, waving him over to the digital portal with a gate already pulled up and activated. "Gennai is already on the scene and will be waiting for you. Good luck."

Tai nodded before entering the portal and found himself downloaded to the Digital World on File Island. It was perhaps his smoothest trip to the Digital World to date.

"Agumon, reload," Tai said as soon as he was fully materialized.

"There you two are," Gennai said, appearing before them with Wizardmon, Leomon, Andromon and Centarumon.

"What's going on?" Tai asked.

"A foreign Digimon," Gennai said grimly. "One not from this world crossed over about an hour ago and is on a rampage. We've cleared the area as best we could and managed to keep him contained here. This might be the perfect opportunity for you and your team to work together and test out Fusion Digivolving."

"Right," Tai said. "Let's go you guys."

"Ride on my back," Centarumon said, "It'll be faster this way."

Tai did as Centarumon suggested and Leomon picked up Agumon before they took off towards a large dust cloud where Tai could now hear loud and angry growls coming from inside. When Tai caught sight of the Digimon stuck within a large barrier of some sort, he stared in surprise.

"It's a Garurumon," Agumon gasped.

"He's a lot stronger than your average Garurumon," Wizardmon said grimly from where he floated beside Tai and Centarumon.

"He gave even Andromon trouble and he's at the Ultimate level," Leomon said, frowning.

"His power levels are unusually high," Andromon reported. "My sensors are also detecting a strange power signature coming from the ring around his neck."

"Ring?" Tai repeated, eyes widening at the sight of the black ring around the Garurumon's neck. "That looks like the black rings that Ken used when he was the Digimon Emperor."

"Maybe if we can remove it, he'll get better," Agumon suggested.

"It's worth a try," Tai agreed, sliding off Centarumon's back. "Time to digivolve, Agumon."

"Right!" Agumon cried. "Agumon Digivolve tooo… Greymon!"

"Greymon, try to pin him down long enough for one of the others to blast that ring off him," Tai ordered.

"Right!" the Digimon at his side said before entering the barrier to take on Garurumon.

The wolf Digimon was fast, darting away before Greymon could even try to grab him. Centarumon and Leomon were able to keep up with him, but it was clear that the smaller Digimon were just barely able to keep him in check. Andromon, Wizardmon, and Greymon tried firing attacks to slow him down, but the large wolf was surprisingly agile. He practically ran circles around them.

"This isn't working," Tai mused. "We'll need Andromon's Lighting Blade attack to cut through the ring. Should I try fusing two of the others?"

He watched as Garurumon and Greymon grappled for a moment, while the others tried to fire a clear shot at the ring around Garurumon's neck, but Greymon on his own wasn't strong enough to keep Garurumon still. Tai found his gaze darting between Wizardmon and Leomon.

"Might work," Tai muttered before shouting, "Wizardmon! Leomon! I'm going to fuse you together."

"Alright!" the two digimon called back, jumping back from the fight.

"Leomon! Wizardmon! Digi-Xros!" Tai shouted, pointing his Xros Loader at the two Digimon.

"Digi-Xros!" the two shouted as they formed two balls of light that combined and turned into at large lion Digimon with yellow fur with red and blue streaks in it, and two long protruding fangs that jutted down from the upper jaw. The two fangs were covered in digitext like the inside of Wizardmon's cape had been. "SABERLEOMON!"

"Saberleomon," Tai said in awe as the digimon's profile information popped up on his Xros Loader.

The newly fused Digimon tackled the Garurumon from behind and managed to help Greymon pin it down.

"Now Andromon!" Tai yelled. "Centarumon!"

"Lighting Blade!" Andromon cried, his slashing attack cutting clean through the black ring.

The ring fell away from Garurumon, but it spun and reformed, moving back towards Garurumon like it was going to reattach itself. Luckily, a blast from Centarumon disintegrated it. Tai found that odd. At first he'd feared that someone was trying to remake and use the old Dark Rings from when Ken Ichijouji was the Digimon Emperor, but they'd never tried to reattach themselves after they were cut free of the Digimon wearing them. It was both comforting and worrying.

Garurumon instantly stopped struggling and began blinking in confusion after the ring was destroyed.

"Where am I?" he growled. "What happened?"

"You were being controlled by a black ring," Tai explained as he approached, stepping through the barrier the Digimon had been fighting in. "Is everyone alright?"

"Fine," Greymon huffed before shrinking back into Agumon. Andromon and Centarumon nodded in confirmation, and SaberLeomon glowed before separating into Wizardmon and Leomon again.

"That was interesting," Wizardmon mused, looking down at himself.

"I… have never felt such power," Leomon said. "Even when I was able to digivolve into SaberLeomon in the fight against the Dark Masters, I didn't feel half that strong. It felt different."

"You all did very well," Gennai's voice said before the man himself appeared out of the settling dust.

"Just what is going on here?" the Garurumon asked.

"You're a long way from home," Gennai said. "You came to our Digital World and began fighting us, but don't worry. We were able to seal you behind a barrier before you could do any serious damage and no one was hurt."

Garurumon looked away as if ashamed. "I'm in a different world, you say?" he asked as he looked around. "Then again, this looks nothing like the zones I've traveled through where I'm from."

"And where is that?" Tai asked.

"Forest Zone, on the fourth level," Garurumon answered. "It's one of twelve levels in the Digital World… at least where I'm from. Traveling into Midnight Zone is the last thing I can recall."

"Tell me, Garurumon," Gennai said. "Are you familiar with the Xros Wars?"

"I am," Garurumon growled. "King Shoutmon asked me to recruit Digimon from the fourth level to help fight in the War."

"Then you must be from Taiki Kudo's Digital World," Gennai mused.

"You know General Taiki of the Red Fusion Fighters?" Garurumon asked.

"I have not had the honor of meeting him, but I know of him," Gennai said. "General Tai Kamiya here is recruiting his own team of Digimon to assist in the war effort."

"He is?" Garurumon said, looking at Tai and staring at the teen's digivice. "It must be true. He has an orange Xros Loader. In that case, General Tai, please allow me to join your army. You freed me from the enemy's grasp and I would be honored to join you."

"Uh, I don't mind," Tai said, staring in amazement. The title of General threw him a bit. He wondered if this happened to that Taiki Kudo guy a lot. "What do you guys think?" he asked the others.

"He's strong," Leomon said. "He'd make a good ally."

"Agreed," Andromon said. "The dark ring was only controlling him. His power levels have not dropped."

"The more the merrier, I suppose," Wizardmon said.

Centarumon nodded in agreement.

"Agumon?" Tai said when he realized his partner hadn't spoken up.

"It's your decision, Tai," Agumon said. "You're the leader and it's your team so I'll stand by your decisions."

"Yes and I appreciate that," Tai said, "but you're my partner and best friend and I value your opinion. This is your team as much as it is mine."

Agumon beamed. "Well… it could be nice working with him. He's not Gabumon, but it'd be nice to have someone like him on our side."

Tai smiled sadly back. Yeah, this Garurumon wasn't Matt's partner digimon and Agumon's good friend, but that was no reason to turn down his help.

"Welcome to the team, Garurumon," Tai said, grinning at the wolf Digimon.

Looks like our new General has already got a few members on his team. Who else will join up? How will Tai's first venture to a new dimension go? Stay tuned to find out on Digimon: Digital Monsters!

Alright! So what did you think? I'm kind of looking forward to working on a story that intentionally has only a few main characters. Let's see how long that lasts. :P

Anyway, when I originally wrote this chapter in ONE DAY (*cries* why can't all chapters come to be that fast?!), there was a scene that I changed because I felt it rushed things. In the original draft of this chapter, the other original 7 digidestined were able to meet up with Tai and Agumon in the park. What resulted was a good scene I felt, but opened the door for the others to discover what was up with Tai a lot sooner than I wanted. Izzi's too smart for his own good sometimes. :P So here is the scene as it was originally written. Enjoy!

OUTAKE!

"So what now, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"Now we can hang out!" Tai grinned. "I could show you around if you'd like?"

"Nah, I have a feeling I'll see a lot of this place anyway," Agumon said. "Don't you want to hang out with the others? You haven't seen them in a while, right?"

"Tai?"

"Huh? Oh, sorry, Agumon," Tai sighed. "What did you say?"

"Are you alright, Tai?" Agumon asked. "You… look very sad. Is something wrong?"

"No," Tai sighed. "Everyone is just usually busy. I hadn't really seen any of them even before joining DATS."

"Well… would it hurt to try?" Agumon asked.

"I see," Agumon sighed.

"Hi, Mr. Ishida. Is Matt home?" Tai asked. Agumon perked up instantly. "Hey, Matt. Are you free this evening? …Band practice, huh? …Nothing, just found myself with a free evening and thought I'd see what you were up to. I haven't seen you in a while. …Are you sure? Great! Hey, I was going to call the others and see what they were up to as well. … Sounds good. We can meet up at the park. I'll see you two later."

"We're going to see Matt?" Agumon asked.

"And Sora," Tai answered. "Matt's band has practice in an hour, but they'll be done around eight. Sora is going to be there as well. She and Matt were just finishing up a study date, it seems."

Tai called Joe who had been studying for a test but said that he'd come, Izzi was free, TK had a basketball game and Kari had to take pictures of the game for their school's newspaper, but they planned on coming as soon as they finished. Kari said she'd call the others, but none of the other younger kids would likely be able to come because it was a school night, but that was alright. Most of the original gang was coming and that was good enough for Tai.

"We've got a few hours before we meet up with everyone," Tai said. "What do you want to do?"

"I suppose I'll take that tour after all," Agumon said.

Tai showed Agumon around DATS HQ and the "community college" areas that his friends and family saw the few times they'd been over to visit. The college building was so well prepared and built that Tai wondered if DATS was planning on recruiting more DigiDestined as they got older. He'd learned that he and his team were the oldest of the known and registered DigiDestined in the world, so he was the first ever to be presented with this opportunity.

After showing Agumon around, they had dinner at the cafeteria and then headed to the park. Agumon traveled in the Xros Loader until they entered the park where there was virtually no one around to see them. He discreetly reloaded Agumon and put away the Xros Loader before they made their way to the section of the park they were meeting everyone else. They were the first to arrive.

"So what'll we tell them, Tai?" Agumon asked.

"We keep it simple. You just suddenly came out of my computer," Tai said.

"Because I missed you and sensed that you were lonely," Agumon said, beaming.

"You don't have to add that last part," Tai huffed.

"But it's true!" Agumon cried. "I could tell something was wrong with you. We're partners, Tai. I know you better than anyone. I know when you're sad. I can feel it."

Tai stared down at the orange dinosaur. "What do you mean you can feel it?"

"I'm not sure how to explain it," Agumon admitted, looking sheepish. "But for as long as I can remember, I've always had a good idea of what you're feeling and it's only gotten stronger as time goes on. Recently I started feeling lonely as well even though I was with all the other Digimon. Something felt like it was missing and I knew that it had to have something to do with you. Gennai told me it had something to do with us being bonded as partners."

"Bonded as partners?" Tai repeated, wondering what that meant, but at that moment Izzi showed up.

"Hey, Tai! Agumon?!" the computer wiz cried.

"Long time no see," Agumon laughed, going from serious and concerned to happy and cheerful in an instant. The change nearly gave Tai whiplash, he'd still been trying to process what his partner had told him. Agumon could sense his emotions? Since when? Sure, Agumon had a knack for knowing what Tai was feeling, but Tai always assumed that it was because Agumon knew him better than anyone else. He'd have to ask Gennai about it in the morning. For now he had old friends to visit with.

"How are you here?" Izzi was asking.

"Dunno," Agumon said, looking puzzled. "One minute I was in the Digital World minding my own business and the next I was falling out of Tai's computer."

"Bizarre," Izzi mused and began to ask Agumon more questions on what he was doing before winding up in the human world. Agumon fielded them expertly, which surprised Tai and made him wonder if Gennai had prepared Agumon with a cover story for returning to the human world. Clearly Gennai knew them better than DATS did and knew that they wouldn't be able to resist seeing their friends. It made Tai wish he'd been informed on Agumon's story, but, then again, perhaps it was best that Tai didn't know. His friends weren't supposed to know that he knew how travel between the worlds worked because it was something he'd learned as a DATS agent.

Joe arrived next and Sora and Matt showed up soon after and Agumon had to repeat his story for them with help from Izzi who must have figured out something from all that talk. Honestly it all just went over Tai's head. He knew the basics, but the techno talk was still a bit above his current understanding of Multiverse travel. TK and Kari showed up some time after that and Tai realized just how much he'd missed being with everyone and wished that Mimi didn't live in America so that she could be there with them.

"So how've you been, Tai?" Sora asked. "You're going to that new community college by the bay, right?"

"I've been good," Tai answered honestly. "The course work is a bit tough, but I feel like I'm doing well."

"What are you majoring in?" Joe asked.

"Political Science," Tai said.

"WHAT?!" nearly everyone cried. Tai and Kari laughed at their reaction.

"You're not pursuing a Physical Education degree?" Izzi asked.

"I thought you were going to try going professional in soccer," Sora said.

"I thought about it," Tai admitted, "but as much as I love soccer, I don't think I could do that for the rest of my life. It wouldn't be for fun anymore. It'd become a job and something I have to do rather than something I want to do."

"But why Political Science?" Matt asked.

"It sounded interesting," Tai said, shrugging. "My advisor at DATS recommended it. I'm taking a few language classes as well."

"Wow," Joe chuckled. "Never thought I'd hear you say such responsible sounding things, Tai."

"So what's going on with you guys?" Tai asked and listened to his friends tell him how things were going in their own lives. It felt great to catch up again and they ended up talking until TK and Kari had to leave.

"Hey, Kari," Tai said before she left. "I also wanted to let you know that I'm going to be gone this weekend on a trip, so you might not be able to reach me."

"Where are you going?" Kari asked.

"On a short site visit to a sister DATS college," Tai lied, telling the cover story he and Agumon had been working on with Agent Nanase for his trips. "I've signed up for a program that allows me to work and travel with other DATS students from around the country. I'm going to be meeting my program partner, whom I'll be working with while I'm at DATS. It's an exchange program of sorts."

"That sounds really cool," TK said.

"Right?!" Tai grinned.

"Will you call when you get back?" Kari asked.

"Sure," Tai said, waving as she and TK finally left to hurry home before their parents wondered where they were at on a school night.

"Sounds like things are going really well for you, Tai," Matt said.

"Thanks," Tai said, "though I really miss seeing you guys."

"It has been a long time since we've all gotten together like this," Sora said. "I'm sorry that Matt and I couldn't be there for the Anniversary."

"I'm sorry too," Joe sighed. "I know my studies have been getting in the way, but I think I'm finally getting a handle on my coursework and internship. I'll do my best to get out more."

"Hey, it's alright you guys," Tai said. "You all have lives outside of being DigiDestined. I understand that."

Izzi frowned, looking like he wanted to say something, but it was at that moment Tai's DATS bluetooth went off.

"Hold on," Tai sighed, clipping the headset on. "Kamiya here."

"Tai," Agent Nanase's voice said. "Are you on campus?"

"No, sir," Tai said. "I'm out with friends. You said I had the rest of the day off."

"How soon can you get back to campus?"

"Umm… maybe half an hour?" Tai mused, looking at his watch. "Why? Is something wrong?"

"We're not sure," the DATS agent said. "We're receiving strange readings from the Digital World and Gennai wants you to come check them out."

"I'll be right there," Tai said, hanging up and slipping the headset back into his pocket beside his phone. "Sorry guys, but a coworker of mine's having some family trouble and needs me to cover the rest of his shift tonight."

"What kind of job do you have?" Izzi asked.

"It's a work study job," Tai said. "I'm part of the group assigned to the campus security desk. Let's go, Agumon."

"Take care, Tai!" Sora called after him. "And have a safe trip this weekend."

"Will do!" Tai cried over his shoulder before he and Agumon disappeared around a bend in the path.

Matt, Izzi, and Joe waved after them.

Izzi looked pensive as he stared at the spot where Tai and Agumon disappeared.

"Uh oh, I know that face," Joe sighed. "What's wrong, Izzi?"

"It's Tai," Izzi said. "Some of the things he and Agumon said tonight struck me as odd."

"How so?" Matt asked.

"I'm not sure I believe Agumon's story for how he got here," Izzi said. "It sounds plausible and it wouldn't be the first time Digimon have slipped through to our world, but now that I really think about it, Agumon seemed to be a little too sure of how he got here."

"You think he was lying to us?" Sora asked.

"Well… maybe not lying," Izzi said, "but he was definitely omitting something. I wonder if it has anything to do with the serious discussion he appeared to be having with Tai before I made my presence known."

"Do you think something's going on with those two?" Joe asked.

"I don't think. I know there is," Izzi said. "When you guys were apologizing for missing the anniversary, he said, "it's alright you guys. You all have lives outside of being DigiDestined. I understand that." He said "you all" instead of "we all." It was like he didn't count himself among us."

"Why's that? You think he means that we don't care about being DigiDestined anymore?" Matt asked, frowning.

"It could have been a slip of the tongue," Sora said. "We haven't really been able to see Tai much this last year. I know this is the first time Matt and I have seen him since we graduated a couple months ago."

"Me either," Joe said. "I think Tai's just a little lonely. We used to be really close."

"We still are," Matt said defiantly.

"I'm not saying we aren't. We're just not close in the way we used to be," Joe said calmly. "You, Sora, Tai and I are in college now. Izzi is still in high school, Mimi lives in America, and TK and Kari are in their final year of middle school. We all have had to grow up. We're not the kids we used to be."

"But what does that have to do with his comment about being DigiDestined?" Izzi pointed out.

Joe frowned, wondering as well.

"Well, it's like Joe said," Sora said. "We're not kids anymore. Being DigiDestined really defined our childhood. We haven't seen any of the Digimon since MaloMyotismon was defeated."

"Until tonight," Izzi said. "Why is Agumon here? And why just him?"

The four of them traded confused and considering looks, wondering just what was going on with Tai and Agumon.

End

I couldn't bring myself to completely delete this scene, so I hope you guys enjoyed it as an outtake/deleted scene. As you can see, I did keep some things from this, and I'll probably work in a similar scene in a later chapter, but I felt that it was way too early for everyone to become suspicious of Tai and Agumon since I wanted to establish them as Generals first before shit hit the fan. I hope you all like how this story is starting. Please review and let me know what you think! :)