My name is Khan. I have no other name to speak of. I think I was born in a dangerous place. My earliest memories were of violence and bloodshed. A lot of running. Someone dying to protect me. From that dangerous environment, I was taken in by the elite force of Digimon Tamers, Tactics, run by Klay Arslan of the 5 Stars. My partner and lifelong friend was the then Hiyokomon. My life continued to be one of violence and bloodshed.
Tactics, when it came down to it, was a ruthless group of mercenaries and killers. Tactics were responsible for no small amount of tragedy around the whole world. Assassinations, wars by proxy, espionage, whatever made Klay money and his empire stronger. We were trained ruthlessly and executed our orders with that same ruthlessness. I was a part of the higher Tactics Team 1. By this point, Hiyokomon digivolved into Buraimon, and together we left a trail of bodies for the sake of Tactics and Klay's clientele.
The morality of it all wouldn't hit me for years. Not until I was staring down a child that would be put on the same path as me if I didn't stop right then and there.
So I did. I disobeyed orders and turned on Tactics. Buraimon didn't hesitate even while we were outnumbered. It looked like we were going to make a clean escape...until Naito showed up with Gigasmon.
Buraimon was stronger than the average champion, but Naito was Klay's top enforcer for a reason. There was no way to fight Naito and the other Tactics members. I thought for sure Naito would kill me and Buraimon, but instead, we were thrown into a cage.
As a top member of Tactics, I was well aware of the underground fights Klay orchestrated. The losers would get cold hearted, and only the strongest of winners would go on to become one of Klay's attack dogs like myself or just a show pony for the viewers. It depended on how useful you could be to Klay.
The lack of having an ultimate level digimon hadn't been more damming than that moment. Even if I got out of this cell, I would need an ultimate to open a doorway out of this dimension. But I wasn't depressed over it. I had saved that child from this life. I could be proud of that.
I only wish I could've saved Buraimon too, even if it meant getting cold-hearted by Naito. For a long time, there was nothing I could do besides fight. Winning did weigh on me more and more as I still couldn't escape the perpetual violence that was my life. My life meant others' suffering. I cried at night for those who were taken away at the end of each battle.
Sometimes I was tempted to throw a fight, but no matter how much of a low I hit, my desire to protect Buraimon always drove me to act.
Until that day, I met Rina and Toji.
Before I met them, I had never had real friends before Buraimon. Certainly not in Tactics.
If we had met before that 3-way match, I couldn't recall, but once we were all staring each other down. I knew I could never stomach the idea of letting them suffer the fate of the defeated. I suddenly wanted to protect them at all costs.
Then all at once all our digimon digivolved to their Ultimate Forms. I never knew two digimon could become one.
Buraimon digivolved to Grademon, and together with Rina's Bastemon and Toji's Dinobeemon, our escape ensued. I knew where they kept the e-pulse inhibitors, so I took care of that while Rina got the keys to the cells. Toji let Dinobeemon loose, roaring Klay's name with rampant E-pulse.
But of course, Klay wasn't there at the time. Not even Naito. Once we had everyone out, I just hoped watching Naito all those years opening Mirror World Gates paid off. Grademon got it done on the first try.
If we didn't have all those people who wanted to escape with us, I probably would've stayed with Toji until Klay or Naito showed up, but escaping that place was what mattered most.
For the first time in I don't know how many years, I was just alive. I was free of the hell I grew up in, I was free of Tactics, I was living with a new lease on life.
Yet I knew this wouldn't be the end of Klay and Tactics. Far from it. I was already a traitor, and now I was an escaped traitor who just ruined one of Klay's rackets. Only by putting an end to Klay could I guarantee he'd never make us suffer again. Me, Grademon, Toji, Dinobeemon, Rina, and Bastemon.
In exchange for giving the Ministry what info I could on Klay and Tactics for their case, I was free to become a cleaner, and they wouldn't trouble Toji or Rina for having illegal digimon. I was hoping they would join me as fellow cleaners, but they have their reasons, so I didn't press the issue.
They are the only family I've ever known, and if it means committing to taking down Klay's Empire, Tactics, and all, Grademon is at my side to see it done.