Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Nineteen

This chapter is a long one. In fact it is almost twice as long as one of my normal chapters. When I was first writing and posting this story, this was designed to be a double-length chapter, as it introduces the final location and begins the final act of the entire book. It also introduces the Machine Empire, and their leader, the honorable Machinedramon, who are important allies to the Digidestined going forward.

Machinedramon exists in this story for two reasons. One I can't mention, as it is an important plot point in book two, but the other is because, ever since he was in Digimon Adventure as a villain, I loved his design. I wanted to include a Machinedramon in my story. One who would stick around for a while and kick some butt (Machinedramon in the anime went down super easy to a single attack). 

Chapter Nineteen

Machine Citadel;

The Digidestined Go On the Attack!

We let Jeremy sleep, as I'd said that we would. I didn't know as much about this world as he did, but I knew enough to realize that what we were about to come up against would require that all of us be at our best. Jeremy slept for a day and a half. When he woke up, we had food ready for him. He ate, and we set off almost immediately. I noticed as we did that Amanda walked with us now rather than riding on her Digimon's back. It was a small change, but it suggested that she planned to be more involved in what happened to us as we journeyed.

Thanks to Jeremy’s guidance we were able to reach the Machine Citadel by mid morning. There were, as of yet, no signs of an attack, and as we approached the fortress that was the Citadel I couldn’t see why anyone in their right mind would attack it. The massive circular wall that surrounded the structure was at least one hundred yards high, making the towers that we could see inside the walls from our vantage point so close to it at least two hundred yard tall.

There were at least a hundred visible towers alone, and the scanners in the Digicomp, which could barely penetrate the walls at all, read several unseen towers as well. It was an entire enclosed city. I tried to read how many Digimon were inside, but I couldn’t. Based on the size, however, there had to be several hundred, or else that much space didn't really make much sense, but I guessed that there was probably more than a thousand. Unless they were all huge or something.

I scanned the walls next. If I couldn’t see inside the walls I could at least take a look at what the walls were made of and try to figure out what the best way would be to boost the Citadel’s defense capabilities. As I read them, though, the Digicomp concluded that the Citadel's defenses couldn't actually be improved.

The walls all the way around registered as a thick layer of something called Chrome Digizoid, a nearly impenetrable metal, bolted in place over a massive titanium frame filled with a mixture of steel beams and concrete. I could also detect ant-air weapons platforms, and elevating platforms spread equidistantly along the inner walls, leading to barricaded platforms along the top, from which machine Digimon could fire their attacks in the structure's defense.

It took us nearly an hour to circle the wall to the gate, and we weren’t even halfway around the perimeter! It really was little more than a giant fortress, and the sight of it was staggeringly impressive. I was still in awe as we approached the gate: a tall set of double doors that were nearly as thick as the wall itself.

The gate was guarded by two Machine Digimon. They were nine feet tall, bulky and brown, and made of a metal that was most likely steel. On the front of each of their square bodies was a hatch, and their heads were squashed down between their shoulders. I scanned them with the Digicomp as we approached. They were the Guardian Digimon, Guardromon, incredibly reliable and resilient Adult Level machines.

I stepped up to the Guardromon and raised my hands up over my head, signally compliance. “We come in peace,” I announced. I didn't want to give our would-be allies the wrong impression and start a conflict, especially when the sheer scale of this place suggested that we wouldn't win.

The two guards looked right into my eyes and said at once in mechanical-sounding voices devoid of emotion, “State your name and intentions.”

“I’m John,” I said, “Leader of the Digidestined. These,” I said, gesturing to my companions, which included the entirety of my team, as well as our Fighter friends, “are my allies. We require an immediate audience with whoever’s in charge here. He have reason to believe that your Citadel will soon come under attack.”

The two Digimon seemed to scrutinize us for a few seconds, and then they said, “Our scanners have determined that your involuntary biological responses are within the norm for the human species. You speak the truth. You may enter. Once inside please follow Hagurumon to High Tower.”

The massive gates slid into the wall, opening a path for us, and we stepped inside. The gates closed behind us. We looked around in awe. We had entered a world the likes of which we, Human and Digimon alike, had never seen before. We found ourselves amongst dozens of spear-shaped towers that reached toward the sky. They grew taller the closer they were to the center of the city. There were hundreds of open walkways that spanned the distance between the towers, connecting them, making the individual towers more like a single unit than they had seemed from outside.

There were mechanical Digimon of varying shapes and sizes walking from one tower to another, whether across the ground or the walkways. The streets and the walkways were riddled with a constant stream of purposeful motion. On the ground at every corner and structure entrance were Guardromon guards prepared to serve and protect and offer assistance to passers by. My friends and I stood fixated on the sight before us until our concentration was broken by a voice by my feet.

“Excuse me, Digidestined? “ We looked down to find the source of the voice and we found that it was coming from a living gear about two and a half feet wide, floating in the air, with a mechanical face and two smaller gears for hands. “I’m Hagurumon, your guide to High Tower. Now,” said Hagurumon, turning away from the gate, “please follow me.”


We walked for twenty minutes following the Hagurumon through the Citadel interior. It wasn’t hard to tell which of the towers was High Tower. It was in the center of the Citadel, connected to the gate by a wide avenue. It was also the largest and tallest tower. It was like a skyscraper, though not quite as tall as some of the biggest skyscrapers that I've seen. Next to High tower was a smaller tower resembling a radio tower that was connected to High Tower by a network of thick cables. Atop this second tower was a massive satellite dish. There was no door on High Tower, just a massive open arch big enough for an Okuwamon and a half to pass through with ease.

We walked forward, through the arch, and found ourselves in a massive room full of consoles and monitors and manned by several dozen Hagurumon, two Guardromon-sized elevators, one in each of the back corners of the room, and a ceiling even higher than the arch itself. Most impressively, though, was what was waiting in the center of the room. On a raised round platform, connected directly to the tower’s systems by a network of cables and mechanical arms was the most imposing Digimon I’d ever seen.

He was bigger than Okuwamon, and quite a bit bulkier, though Braunto still had the advantage in length. He was like a giant dragon made of metal, with a massive, angular black head, strong arms ending in long, powerful metal claws, a long, powerful-looking robotic tail, flat at the end, and two massive cannons, each as big as his head, on his back, pointing forward. There were many ever-changing holographic displays floating around the head of this Digimon, which he watched intently. Some showed computer code and specs on Machine Digimon, while others were images of the general happenings within the Citadel.

My friends and I stopped dead and stared in awe at the sights before us. Hagurumon floated forward and said, “Machinedramon, the Digidestined have arrived.”

The mechanical dragon looked down at Hagurumon and then looked at us. He looked back up at the displays, and they disappeared. The cables linked to his body disconnected and retracted into the walls, and the mechanical arms detached and folded up into a sort of standby mode. The dragon stepped forward, shaking the ground beneath us, and lowered his massive head until he was looking right into my eyes. I didn't know whether I should run, or wait around and see whether or not he planned to kill us, because he definitely could have. Of course if he wanted to kill us, running in here wouldn't really help much, so I stood my ground.

“It’s a pleasure to finally meet you, Digidestined,” the dragon said in a voice that sounded more emotive than the voices of the Guardromon and Hagurumon, but still synthesized, like the voice that the Digicomp used, only much, much deeper. “I am Machinedramon, the ruler of Machine Citadel and leader of the Digiworld’s only armed forces. I have been wondering when you would arrive here.”

“We had to come Lord Machinedramon-,” I said, trying to sound polite.

“Please,” the dragon said, straightening up but keeping his eyes trained on us, “just Machinedramon. I am no one’s ‘Lord’.”

I nodded respectfully, realizing quickly that I liked this guy, “We've come with information for you. Manipulamon is prepping a force to attack your Citadel as we speak. A force that he believes has the ability to breach it.”

Jeremy stepped up to my side, “If the force is not already moving it will be on its way within the next few hours at the most. Manipulamon had geared the force toward taking out the Citadel’s forces. The number of casualties that could result is unacceptable.”

The dragon looked up at the ceiling and grumbled, “Ah, Manipulamon. I could likely put him in his place myself if not for the fact that his forces actually rival mine. Yes, we’ve known about this attack for several hours now. It is made up of Serpenterramon-type Digimon of various levels. Manipulamon himself is not with them, the coward.” Machinedramon looked back down at us, “It is obvious that he plans to use the combined flight and digging abilities of the serpents to penetrate the wall.”

“Could he really destroy this Citadel,” Jen asked, “with all of its defenses?”

“Alone the Serpenterramon and their Perfect form WingedSerpenterramon are of no consequence to my forces,” Machinedramon replied conversationally, “though the Serpentmon could likely penetrate the walls by digging beneath them. It is the Digimon that accompanies them that concerns me.”

A holographic display appeared before us and an image of a metal snake with a segmented body, one segment having treads like a tank, appeared on it.

“He is called MetalSerpenterramon,” Machinedramon explained, “a Digimon that rivals even mine and Manipulamon’s power. He, like me, is at a level beyond even Perfect: the Ultimate Level. If he were to attack the Citadel it is likely that, even with me at their side, my forces would be overrun.”

“We know of MetalSerpenterramon,” I told Machinedramon, “he's one of Manipulamon's Digimon generals. One of the only two which remain.”

“If MetalSerpenterramon is the one attacking you,” said Jeremy, “then our information is incorrect. We thought that it was the other general, GranKuwagamon, and his forces who were on there way in.”

“It may well be,” Machinedramon replied. “We have been fighting Manipulamon's largest armies for months now, and suddenly, just yesterday his forces pulled back. It would not surprise me if he has regrouped in preparation for one final two-pronged attack.”

I took a deep breath, struggling with what I was about to commit us to, and said, “We’ll help.”

The massive dragon made a sound like gears grinding that I realized was a sigh of relief. “Thank you,” he said. “I have been tracking your progress, Digidestined. You've grown strong enough to rival Manipulamon. With your forces added to mine we should be able to come up with a strategy that will lead us to victory.”

“How many are there in Manipulamon’s army?” I asked him.

“We were never able to get an exact number reading,” said Machinedramon, “but it is clear that it would take nearly my entire force to defeat only the Adult and Perfect Level Digimon with an acceptable loss of forces.”

“And you haven't seen anything from GranKuwagamon?” Jeremy asked. “Nothing at all?”

“No,” Machinedramon replied, “and our reconnaissance network in infallible.

“I know,” Jeremy told him bitterly, “I spent some time under Manipulamon's control. He often complained that there was no way to deceive you. He had to fight you head on.”

Jeremy smiled, “It really infuriated him.”

“I take pleasure in that,” Machinedramon told him.

“Anyway,” Jeremy told the mechanical dragon, “you and your army should move to intercept MetalSerpenterramon’s force. Digimon in Manipulamon's ranks are not encouraged to cooperate. Once he sees that your forces are numerous enough to rival his, MetalSerpenterramon will push past and make a play for the Citadel himself, leaving his men to die. This will be especially true if you are there with them.”

“I had thought of this,” said Machinedramon, “but I would not be able to leave forces enough behind to match MetalSerpenterramon's sheer power, and allowing him too near the Citadel with his army would risk damage to the interior, and the technology within.”

“Then that's where we come in,” I said, realizing Jeremy's plan. “We'll remain behind with as many men, or rather machines, as it takes to operate the weapon emplacements on the wall, and when MetalSerpenterramon arrives, we'll fight him. We should be able to hold him until you get back to mop up.”

“Not that you'll have to,” Sarah said, slamming her fist into her palm, with a big grin on her face.

“If anyone else were to ask to be entrusted with my Citadel,” Machinedramon said thoughtfully, “I would not hesitate to say no, but you are the Digidestined. I trust you because, as the Digidestined, you can inherently be trusted. It is an aspect of the definition of the word. You are here to help us. I will leave enough of my men behind to man the Citadel’s internal defense towers, as you have suggested, but they will not be numerous enough to do much more than offer you cover, and I doubt that my main force will be able to return in time to help you at all. Once my main force has let, defense of this place will be up to you.”

I nodded, a little less comfortable with the situation as I'd been a moment ago, “We understand.”


Twenty minutes later we watched as Machinedramon led a force of a few hundred Digimon, consisting of many lines of Guardromon, as many lines of robots made of large boxy chrome bodies with faces in their chests, domes for heads, and long flat arms, known as Mekanorimon, and almost as many lines of robot tanks with guns for hands and cannons in their faces, called Tankmon, as there were lines of the other Digimon combined. The army marched in formation through the gates and into the woods with Machinedramon at point.

Serpentmon, BlackColtmon, Jen, Coltmon, Sarah, Ponymon, Amanda, Chickomon, Jeremy, Mechmon, and I took up position outside the gate. We stood ready to face whatever was coming. Several Guardromon and Mekanorimon were carried by automatic lifts up into the defense towers circling the wall , ready to fire out at the enemy. Dokugamon, Birdramon, and Tuskmon remained inside the wall where it was safe. I'd told them that I wanted them prepared to act as a final defensive line, but the truth was that, as strong as they were, they couldn't fight a Perfect Level, let alone an even stronger Digimon, and hope to survive for long.

Another twenty or so minutes later there was a series of explosions in the distance. I aimed the Digicomp handheld, searching for nearby movement. With an apprehensive frown, I reported, “Something big is coming this way fast.”

I wondered for a second, and then I asked, “Hey Jeremy, that Digicalculator of yours crunches numbers, right?”

“Yeah,” he answered bleakly, probably realizing where I was going with my line of questioning.

“Have you run the numbers,” I asked, “to determine if our Perfect Digimon can beat an Ultimate Digimon?”

“It’s uncertain,” he answered. “Ultimate Digimon, like Digimon of all other levels, have varying degrees of power, but there is a difference when it comes to Ultimates versus Digimon of other levels. A gap, you might say, that some lower level Digimon can't cross. I've never seen MetalSerpenterramon fight, so my Digicalculator doesn't have any direct figures to work off of, so it's possible that MetalSerpenterramon is across that gap, and only another Ultimate can win.”

“What do you mean ‘can we beat an Ultimate Digimon’?” Sarah asked me, annoyed with my doubting attitude. “Machinedramon said that this thing is only as strong as Manipulamon, and Jen and I and our Digimon were too much for him.”

“You have to realize,” Jeremy told us, all serious, like he was trying yo get a point across, “that the Digimon you fought that day was only an avatar of Manipulamon. It's a taxing ability for him to use, just like all of his more exotic manipulation powers are, but it's only one of his powers. That avatar was only one tenth as strong as the real thing, and still if Coltmon and Ponymon hadn't happened to Digivolve into Holy Beast Digimon, he might have beaten you one on five.”

“He's right,” said BlackColtmon, “as strong as Fillimon and BattleStaliamon are, they don't hit too much harder than the rest of us.”

“But we're here for a reason,” said Sarah indignantly. “We were chosen to beat Manipulamon and his generals, and that means we can.”

“That's right,” said Jeremy, “but Manipulamon knew that the Digidestined would come before he even began his conquest, and he still went ahead with it. An intelligence chose us, but another intelligence is working against us. Manipulamon is as smart as he is powerful. You guys have done impossible things since you got here, but Manipulamon has been aware of it all. He knows we can beat him. It's why he'd playing this long game, taking out the Citadel first, taking me so he could learn about how the power of a Digidestined grows, and somehow choosing his own Digidestined in the form of Pyro Tucker.

“I mentioned,” he concluded, “that Ultimate Level gap? Well Manipulamon is not only one of the few Perfects who crosses it, but a Perfect so powerful that he dances across it like it's a joke. He didn't just get his name from the fact that he can manipulate the elements and data. He's someone who never goes into a situation, even a fight, unless he's in complete control of it. I tried once to imagine what he would be like it he were Digivolved further, but I can't, because I'm sure that whatever he became could end this world all on his own. Machinedramon is wrong when he says he could beat Manipulamon himself. He might come close, but he wouldn't win. And if he is right and MetalSerpenterramon is close to Manipulamon's power, this might be our last fight ever.”

“Well,” said Sarah, pale and shocked, as if her eyes had just been opened to something unsavory, “that sucks.” The others didn't look much better.

“Guys,” I said, ignoring them and looking up from the handheld, “I hope you're at a stopping point in your conversation, because MetalSerpenterramon is here.”

As I spoke several trees toppled over and a massive form emerged. It was the snake from the image in High Tower, and the image from the Digicomp back on our first night here, but he was bigger than I ever would have thought. The tank-like segment of his body was more than half as big as Machinedramon. The portion of his body that was ahead of the treads, the portion that contained his head, was as long as the Citadel wall was tall, and the portion that was the snake’s tail was three times the length of the other. Upon seeing us he opened his massive jaws wide and hissed loudly, a sound like the breaks of a hundred cars grinding.

“This,” said BlackColtmon with a hungry look in his eyes, “is going to be fun.”

The immense snake moved up on us quickly and called, “Neutron Fang!” He looked down at Serpentmon and fired twin pinpoint beams from his eyes.

“Not today,” I said. I raised my Digivice and called, “Initiate Digivolution!”

Serpentmon sprang up and became Dragonterramon. He evaded the beams, which swept up the wall, hitting one of the defense towers, completely destroying it and the Guardromon that occupied it. The other machines began firing at the snake, the Guardromon firing missiles from their arms, their speed boosted by an electrical field projected by the defense towers, causing greater damage upon impact, and the Mekanorimon firing beams from their chests, their power gaining a boost from the defense towers’ integrated power systems.

Even with their power enhanced, however, the Machines were unable to put a dent in the metal plates that were bolted over MetalSerpenterramon’s body. I scanned the enemy, “Uh, guys, his armor plating is made of the same metal as the Citadel.”

As I spoke, MetalSerpenterramon fired beams at three more machine guards, destroying them. As big as MetalSerpenterramon was, he couldn't get his heavy body over the wall, so I turned to the Machines in their towers and called up to them, “Fall back and leave this one to us.”

“You shouldn’t be so cocky,” said MetalSerpenterramon as the Machines retreated down from their towers, “I am unbeatable!”

“We’ll see,” I said, and along with my friends I took out my Digivice and Digiplayer and connected them together. We passed our hands over our Crests, and our disks emerged. We inserted them and called, “Initiate, Digiplayer Digivolution!”

Dragonterramon jumped straight at the giant metal snake and called, “Dragonterramon, Digivolve to, WingedDragonterramon!” In his Perfect form my Digimon slammed into the enemy’s head, knocking it back.

“BlackColtmon, Direct Digivolve to!” He bypassed Adult Level and became his Perfect form, “JousterStaliamon!”

“Coltmon…”

“Ponymon…”

“Chickomon…”

“Mechmon…”

“…Direct Digivolve to…”

“MetalStaliamon!”

“TechnoFillimon!”

“MetalBrauntomon!”

“MegaMechamon!”

As the other Digimon finished Digivolving, WingedDragonterramon flapped his wings and rose into the air. MetalBrauntomon spread his metal blade “wings” and kicked up his jets, carrying himself up past the snake, close enough to slice it with his blades to no avail. While still up in the air MetalBrauntomon called out, “MetalBrauntomon, Mode Change to!” His robotic knees locked his legs, with their jets, at fifty degree angles, and his main jets, with his wings attached, rotated so that his wings were at a slight angle to each other instead of in a straight line, “Flight Mode!”

WingedDragonterramon and MetalBrauntomon took up positions to either side of the foe, and MetalBrauntomon and TechnoFillimon moved to stand in front of and behind the foe. MegaMechamon positioned himself below WingedDragonterramon, and JousterStaliamon stood below MetalBrauntomon. The six Digimon attacked, but their attacks did nothing except clang against the snake’s armor harmlessly, causing it to vibrate. Panels opened in the tank-like portion of the snake’s body and he called, “Metal Serpent Strike!” Beams shot from behind the panels, hitting all of the Digimon, reducing them to their Child Level forms.

“No way!” I said, but it had happened. We had finally lost a battle, and it hadn't even been a close contest. I looked around. We were backed against the Citadel wall and gate, so our only route of escape would take us past the snake. We didn't even have anywhere to run away to.

“Now,” MetalSerpenterramon said, flaunting his victory, “who should I kill first?” He looked around some, and finally settled on me and my fellow Human’s. He lowered his massive head toward us, and a barrage of small needles hit the back of his head and exploded. He turned to search for the source of the attack, and there was Serpentmon, standing up against the immense enemy, even though he knew that he could never win.

While the snake was distracted, I, in my infinite stupidity, ran up and climbed onto the snake’s currently unmoving tread and jumped from there onto his back. When MetalSerpenterramon saw me he laughed and lowered his head, grabbing me with his metallic tongue and lifting me high into the air. He dropped me, letting me fall. If I hit the ground, I would die, but I was okay with that. I'd done everything I could, and as I fell I could see that my stunt had pulled MetalSerpenterramon's attention from the others and allowed them to get themselves out from between the wall and the enemy without getting killed. They would be able to escape.

I closed my eyes, waiting for the end to come, and I heard a voice echoing in my mind: a deep, soothing voice that I had never heard before, but that I trusted.

Your fight is not over, the voice said, you still have more to accomplish. As Digidestined you can create miracles, so make one now.

It was about then that my Crest began to glow. As I fell with my eyes closed, I could feel Serpentmon’s heart. He and I were on the same wavelength. We were both willing to stand up to our enemy, even if it cost us our lives. My Digiplayer slid from my pocket and hung in the air an arm's length away, and my Neo Crest of Courage slid from my tag and became a disk. I grabbed it and swiped it through the input slot in the Digiplayer, calling, “Let’s show them that no gap is too wide for us to cross in our own way. Initiate Warp Digivolution!”

A beam of light shot from the disk and hit Serpentmon. He grew, becoming WingedDragonterramon again. As he did, he called, “Serpentmon, Warp Digivolve to!” The bones that made the frames for his mighty wings were replaced by metal surrounded by a solid metal frame, and his legs were replaced by fully robotic counterparts with nasty-looking curved metal claws, like six curved swords. His left arm was replaced by a mechanical arm, ending in a disk-shaped shield with four holes in it. In his right talon appeared a laser rifle equipped with sights. A metal frame appeared around his lower jaw, and a portion of the left side of his face, including his left eye, became robotic as well. He spread his wings and leaped, catching me in his arms, “MetalDragonterramon!”

He set me down and rose into the air, circling his foe. “You were right,” he said to MetalSerpenterramon, “your armor is impenetrable, making you virtually invincible. But I noticed before that, when hit, your armor plates vibrate.”

“Rrrr,” the snake growled a reply, “you may be an Ultimate now like me, but you still can’t win.” He fired his eye beams again, “Neutron Fang!” MetalDragonterramon swerved, avoiding the attack, and rose up above the snake’s back, aiming his shield at the snake and calling, “Launcher Fireballs!” a barrage of fireballs fell from the holes in my Digimon’s shield, hitting the armor on MetalSerpenterramon’s back with enough concussive force to vibrate them so hard that the bolts came loose and the plate fell away. Beneath it was a mass of robotics and exposed circuitry.

MetalDragonterramon turned and took aim with his rifle, calling, “Lightning Flame!” He fired a red-hot beam wreathed in electricity that tore through the snake’s inner mechanics. They exploded, and the massive snake cried out in pain, collapsing in the dirt face first before breaking down into data and dispersing into the air.

MetalDragonterramon landed and turned back into his Baby II Form, Snakemon. He collapsed, unconscious. I ran quickly to his side.

“That was amazing, buddy,” I told him, truly impressed with my friend.

“I couldn't've done it without ya,” he replied, and I picked him up and placed him on my shoulder, where he hung limp and started dozing.

I was smiling, but my smile faded when I heard a slow clapping echoing from the forest along the path the MetalSerpenterramon had taken to approach.

“Well,” a voice said, ringing out from between the trees, “wasn't that interesting.”

Out of the forest stepped a human figure with a small fireball hovering around his head. He was tall, with aggressive-looking eyes and red hair that spiked up, red like fire. He was muscular, like a fighter, and his smile was unsettling. He stopped clapping and stood there with his hands in his pockets.

“Manipulamon didn't want me to fight you yet,” said Pyro Tucker, “but I don't have a problem going against a quest-giver's instructions if it makes things more fun. That Digivolution was something else. Do you think that after I kill you I'll be able to do it too?”

He took a Digivice that was shaped like ours, except more angular, and reversed, “Well, either way, I'm going to find out.”

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