If Boss Reo is reading this---turn back now! :)

Wizardmon crept around the aging birch tree, levitating to the lowest branch as soon as he saw that the coast was clear, then the next, and the next; until he was at mid-tree height.

He'd been doing a combination run and seek cover for days now, afraid to do more than grab whatever looked edible and stuff it in his mouth as he kept up this nerve-wracking game of hide and seek.

A game of hunter and prey---one in which he was playing the latter part.

After their failed attempt to flee from their servitude under Myotismon, the evil vampire had sent his most powerful minion after the wizard with the command to "hunt him down and subdue him no matter how long it takes."

That rebellion had taken place three days ago and Wizardmon had been hard pressed to keep ahead of the ghostly Ultimate's clutches; even resorted to smearing his normally well-cared for attire with smelly mud in order to camouflage both the yellow of his jumpsuit and his body's scent.

There was no time to worry about what had become of Gatomon since they'd been separated during a Mammothmon attack.
No time to worry about anything but avoiding capture.

The digital mage stiffened as he heard something not far away. Straining his hearing to the utmost, Wizardmon could just make out Phantomon's eerie voice chortling in the darkness.

"Come out; come out, wherever you are!"

Again?! What did it take to lose that guy?!

"I know you're near, Wizardmon," the demon ghost chuckled. "You've been living at the castle too long for me to mistake that unique scent you exude. You see, I can sense the aura of your magic. It's wrapped around you like your cloak---only this is one garment that you cannot discard or mask."

"Sludge!" The mage felt a chill run through him as the voice came ever closer.

Was it possible? He'd tried every trick he knew to shake off his pursuer and all to no avail. Now he had to wonder...

Was Phantomon bluffing? Or was he indeed being betrayed by the very thing that made him what he was?


The Data Wizard who had fearlessly---if foolishly---tried to face down a vampire Ultimate while Gatomon escaped now could not repress an exclamation of fright as the scarlet-robed form of Phantomon suddenly filled his vision. A razor-sharp scythe poised along the side of his cheek, pricking the blue-grey skin as his staff was simultaneously yanked from it's owner's gloved hand.

"Naughty, naughty, digimon, I told you it was only a matter of time," Phantom gleefully hissed.

Beads of sweat formed on Wizardmon's face as he waited for the coupe de grace: the moment when the curved blade would separate his head from his neck. Or would Phantomon use his weapon to puncture through the wizard's skull? Either way, the Champion's data would be dispersed, not to reform again until some unknown day when the Matrix decided to redeposit it within a digitama.

Assuming that Myotismon didn't destroy Primary Village outright in his quest to bring unending darkness to the digital world, that is. That mon was insane.

However, Phantomon seemed in no great hurry to dispatch with his quarry, the gleaming red eyes from within the blackness of his cowl studying his prize with an amused air.

Wizardmon's own eyes of jade widened as Phantomon agilely turned the blade so that it's outer edge pressed down slightly upon the top hem of the cowl that kept the wizard's lower face from view.

"My, what big eyes you've got, my dear Wizardmon," Phantomon joked as he pressed the cloth downward, "So expressive they are. And I like the mouth. It gives me such great ideas involving twine."

The green eyes promptly narrowed to slits.

"Stop playing around, Phantomon," Wizardmon frostily replied as he risked jerking he head back so that the cowl sprung back into place, hiding his mouth once more from view. "Now that you have me, delete me and get it over with.'

"Such bravado. I believe that's what I always admired about you----that, and that glorious hair of yours. Do you know how many times I was tempted to cut off your ponytail just so that I'd be able to run my fingers through it anytime I wanted? And now it appears that I can do so much more than that."


"Did you really think that Myotismon sent me to delete you? No, he wants you back so that he can flaunt you in front of Gatomon."


"Didn't you know? Skullmeramon caught her two days ago and is holding her at our campsite. You've been running alone, Wizardmon."

The mage slumped in defeat. Despite not seeing hide nor hair of his friend, he'd tenaciously held onto the hope that she was yet free and using the time he had bought her to get far away from Myotismon's realm. But if she was indeed a prisoner of that Virus, then his own efforts to evade capture had been in vain.

"Take me back to her."

"No. Not before I've fulfilled our master's command."

"You're not talking sense, Phantomon. You've caught me. What more is there to fulfill?"

"Why, your lesson in obedience, wizard! Myotismon wants that rebellious fire in your eyes shackled. No doubt Skullmeramon has already dealt with your friend. But I have been given the privilege of taming you."

"And what by the Guardians is that supposed to mean?" Wizardmon asked with clenched fists. *If that walking barbeque had hurt Gatomon--!*

Again the wicked blade danced along his cowl.

"You know...." ---and here the demon's voice took on a thoughtful air--- "back before you showed where you're true loyalties lay, I always wondered what it was that was kept so covered under all of those garments--- I swear you are the most *clothed* Champion-level I've ever seen. It isn't natural. I think that you must be hiding something very special under all that cloth. Perhaps this is my chance to find out, hmm?" He repositioned the end of the scythe to rest at the skull clasp that kept the mage's cloak around his shoulders.

"Leave him alone!"

Wizardmon smiled with satisfaction when he heard her voice. There was only one way Gatomon could easily have gotten away from the huge Viral!

"Well, Phantomon, it seems that *if* Skullmeramon had her at all, he couldn't keep her."

"Gatomon-" Phantomon growled without changing position. "By the time you get up here to use your Lightning Paw attack, I can easily run your friend through."

"Think again, Laundry Bag!" Gatomon purred. Then she struck the birch tree hard with her gloves. It wobbled dramatically before toppling over.

Phantomon laughed as he instinctually floated in the air--- safe from harm.

Stupid gatomon! Didn't she realize that she couldn't cause a *ghost* digimon to fall?

However, the sound died in his throat when he saw that Wizardmon had opted to go down with the tree and was now levitating to stand besides the feline.

"You tricked me! For that you will pay!" Phantomon roared. "Shadow Scythe!"

"Gatomon digivolve to--- Angewomon!"

"What?!" Phantomon cursed as he fell back.

"Heaven's Charm!" Angewomon proclaimed, causing the Viral to freeze. "Wizardmon, would you like to do the honors of deleting this scum bag?"

The mage shook his head. "No. I think a far more apropos fate would be to send him back to Myotismon empty handed." With the aid of Angewomon's power, he performed a spell that sent the helpless Phantomon flying back to the vampire's castle.

"Well, Wizardmon… You don't seem surprised to see me?" the angel digimon noted to her companion.

"There was never a more resourceful womon in all of the Nightmare Army," Wizardmon chuckled. "You digivolve fairly quickly before--- why not again? I can never be surprised by anything you do."

"Never?" Angewomon asked slyly.

She then knelt down, knocking aside both hat and cowl in order to kiss him soundly on the lips.

"Well…" Wizardmon coughed as he gasped for air. "Maybe not. Not that I mind being proved wrong."

Grinning, Angewomon twirled around.

"What do you think of the outfit?"

"I think," Wizardmon said, unseen tongue stuck in equally unseen cheek, "that it probably breaks several laws of decency."

"Shall I change back into Gatomon then?"

"Don't you dare---"he returned, looking every inch the evil warrior he pretended to be. "I mean…, that isn't necessary."

She laughed, enjoying his frank admiration of her Ultimate form.

"You know," Angewomon purred, admiring herself. "I think I'm going to like this new body."

"I know I am!" Wizardmon happily concurred as he floated up to take her by the hand. "My angel, what's say we sail on over to File Island and make ourselves a new set of more pleasant memories? It's supposed to be free of evil dictators at the moment and I for one, have had enough of Server and its assorted megalomaniacs. Let's leave them for one of Gennai's stuffy old prophecies to deal with and enjoy life."

"You're on!"

And the two lived happily ever after in their villa on File Island while the Not-So-Magnificent Seven (kids and their digimon) trudged onwards on their heroes' path.


Man, I am in such a mood! LOL!

Over the past I've read several complaints that wiz/gato is obscene because Gatomon is after all a cat and Wizardmon is… well, more *human* anyway even if he technically isn't one. (Just what *is* he exactly? A Scarecrow? Rag doll? Pseudo-human?) Being as all the digimon are different, by such logic Gatomon's prospects for a mate would be confined to another feline and the only other ones I remember off hand are Black Tailmon and Leomon---and wouldn't Black Tailmon be akin to sleeping with your cousin? And Leomon is just too big for such a small digimon like Gatomon.

So I'll stick with liking wiz/gato… or as here--- wiz/ange!