Chapter 11: Lightning Bug Plus Dragon Girl Equals…

You ran along hallways and through rooms, all of which looked alike. You were trying to follow the crashes overhead, but they echoed and seemed to be moving. And that was when you weren't hitting dead-ends or pitfalls.

"Was this whole place built without an exit?!" you raged as you turned away from another short hallway. "And if so, I'd love to know how!"

You had an incredibly strong feeling that your new friends were in more danger than Mercurymon had let on. Partly it was all those crashes and booms, and partly it was because Junpei had his spirit and he could be idiotically brave sometimes…

'Just don't let now be one of those times!' you prayed.

~Takuya POV~

"Back off, Junpei! She's too much to handle alone!" I shouted.

"No way!" he replied. "I have to protect you all!" He charged LadyDevimon again.

"But he can't even protect himself!" Izumi whimpered as Beetlemon took another brutal attack. "He's going to lose his spirit at this rate!"

"Come on, Junpei, you need to retreat!" Kouji yelled.

Beetlemon wasn't able to reply; he was struggling to stand when LadyDevimon closed in again.

"Evil Wing!" She jabbed her long, red claws into Beetlemon's gut and sent him flying backward.

"That didn't use her wing," Neemon said. Bokomon was too busy hiding to snap his waistband.

Suddenly Beetlemon's digicode and spirit appeared hovering in front of him. He had lost.

"There it is," the witch purred and she moved forward to take it.

~Your POV~

"You must be KIDDING!" you howled. You were staring up at a patch of sunlight and sky - approximately two hundred miles above your head. "THAT'S out?!"

A cloud floated by. You wanted to keep looking for a more normal way out… but the ominous quiet had you even more worried than the crashes.

'If anything's happened to Junpei…' you thought. Then you shook your head. 'Nothing will happen to him,' you told yourself fiercely. 'I'll make sure of that!'

"Let's go. SPIRIT EVOLUTION - Dramon!" You spread your little armored wings to fly and went shooting up the tunnel. Towards the end it narrowed too far for you to continue. As if that would stop you.

"Spirit Claw!" The top of the pipe was shredded like paper, and you were left hovering in midair. Little lights like confetti floated past you, heading up into the sky.

But you were more interested in what was happening on the ground. A solid Beetlemon (that was new to you) was lying sprawled on the metal ground, looking like he'd been swatted by an enormous newspaper. And moving towards him was a chick with NO fashion sense. Not that you had any either.

She reached out for the spirit and you were instantly pissed. You had fallen on your head to get that! No way was she taking it so easy!

You dove like a falcon, ready to rip her apart. But the ugly chick was fast - she dodged your claws and a kick to your back sent you tumbling into a building. And through it too.

It hurt but you were too mad to care. You came stampeding out of the wall as if to ram her. She dodged again and was about to slash at your back - but you stopped short and caught her claws with your armored gloves. You were a fast learner.

"Impressive!" she laughed.

"You should play nice!" you snarled. "Spirit Flame!"

It turns out the weird things on her back were wings. She avoided your flame mostly, but the edge of one wing got singed.

"You'll pay for that!" she screeched. "Darkness Wave!"

You weren't intimidated. "Spirit Claw!"

You rushed into her attack and realized your mistake too late. The darkness surrounded you and it suddenly felt like you were being jabbed by a million needles all at once. You screamed, of course. There was no way that you couldn't. You didn't even notice as the darkness lifted you into the air.

~Kouichi POV~

"They're both reckless idiots!" Takuya fumed. No one had the heart to point out that he was too.

In fact, Ally had acted like she hadn't heard us all shouting at her to run. I could believe it - I'd already seen what she was like when she was truly angry. But her temper had gotten her into trouble. Although Junpei was safe and his digicode and spirit had vanished again, now she was being torn up by LadyDevimon.

Suddenly the darkness pulled away and the evil Digimon grabbed Dramon by the throat. "This is what you get for burning my beautiful wing!" she cackled.

Dramon began to thrash as LadyDevimon choked off her air. All I could do was clench my fists helplessly. If only we all had our spirits!

~Your POV~

You couldn't breathe! You thought that savage attack had taken all of the fight out of you, but you found yourself kicking and flailing, desperate for air. You tried to pry her fingers away from your windpipe, but they were like iron.

Abruptly the pressure loosened and you sucked in air with a ragged gasp. But before you could get another, she cut off your supply again. Torturing you.

'Sadistic witch!' you screamed mentally. Darkness clouded the edges of your vision.

It receded as LadyDevimon let you have another breath, so you saw the bolt of lightning rocket past her head. All you could hear was the blood pounding in your ears though.

Her attention left you to sneer at Beetlemon (the source of the attack), and that was just enough for you to get out one last shout.

"JUNPEI!"

~Junpei POV~

"Put her down!" I roared.

LadyDevimon just sneered at me. "Try to make me!"

Dramon had gone limp and I hoped it was just a faint. But LadyDevimon had been squeezing hard and she had those razor-sharp talons… Then I saw Dramon's tail twitch and my hope returned.

Then, with surprising strength, she pulled LadyDevimon's fingers away from her throat long enough to scream my name.

"Quiet!" The witch's claws closed around Dramon's throat again. "Shut up and die already!"

I suddenly felt a burning ignite inside me. It started in my center and grew fast. The temperature went up and it almost hurt. Then it went up more and did hurt. I didn't scream but I made a pained noise as an arrow of light and heat shot out of me and hit Dramon.

Bolts of electricity drove LadyDevimon back from Dramon with a confused howl. Light gathered around Dramon. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT!"

There was a thud, and when the light faded a new Digimon stood ready to fight.

"Beetledramon!" it rumbled.