Disclaimer: I don't own Digimon. Characters; Benji and Tilly (KumoFuzei), Amelia (Somethingdictionaryrelated), John (tobiisagoodboy94) Kara (FallenAngel01) and Rocky (me)
A/N – Let me kick off the chapter with an ad to the forum topic! Here's the link topic/22352/116003425/1/#116079252
Go on, you know you want to! And you can find the review replies from chapter eleven on the topic
A/N 2 – Did Benji get away in time?
A/N 3 – Okay, this was my last chance to publish a chapter and I took it, so please keep an open mind when critiquing this chapter in particular – my sincerest apologies
Chapter 12 – Benjamin Olivier
My head jolted about from side to side. To the left, Tilly was being grabbed by two soldiers. She was screaming for me to run. To the right, Rocky threw a swift punch to another's gut causing them to double over, only for more soldiers to pile on him. Next thing I knew, Rocky's face was being pressed to the grass.
"Benji, run!" Kara and Tilly screamed.
I turned on the balls of my feet, hearing the crunch of the gravel underfoot. Running was never my strongest or favourite sport, but I had to run. Maybe I could find another digidestined. I remembered Rocky and Kara mention someone called John – perhaps I could find him.
"After the kid!" someone called out.
I decided to hide down a muddy track, hoping that I might lose them that way. There was a hole in the hedge that I passed through easily. The squelchy mud on the other side of the hedge caused me to slip and slide uncontrollably.
I knew that Mum was going to be so mad when she saw the state of my trainers. Glancing over my shoulder, I could see a soldier ducking under the gap in the hedge.
The wind was knocked out of me when a huge person struck me in the side, tackling me to the ground and dragging me into an overgrown bush through the newly fallen leaves.
They cupped one hand over my mouth and held a finger to their lips.
We listened as the soldier shot past out hiding place.
"Come on kid." He forced himself out through the gap we had partially created.
KID? What is it with everyone calling me kid?
Rather than argue, I followed him cautiously. "Who are you?" I asked.
"I'm John Bradley, I'm here to save the day."
A smile crept across my face, I had found him. Unlike Rocky, I had to give John the benefit of the doubt and allow John to help me save the others.
"You know Rocky- and Kara, right?" I just wanted to make sure I had the right guy.
His eyes closed and he nodded his head.
"I'm going to go and save my sister- and Rocky and Kara too." I started to march bravely back up the muddy path towards the hole in the hedge, but John's arm shot out causing me to stop.
"Your mum will be wondering where you are. I have to get you home, then I'll go and save the others."
Somehow, he was holding my arm loosely.
"Let go!" I squeaked. "Rocky's right, you're working for DEPT, aren't you?"
John fell silent. "It's not true. Rocky's a liar. He just can't stand not being the centre of attention. I'm not working for DEPT, but there is a chance that I'll be heading up an initiative in Japan with Amelia's help. She thinks that there are some operatives that can help us find more Digidestined like you and me. We need to find out more about the Digital World and its connection with ours."
"Why didn't you tell anyone, John?" I asked calmly. He deserved the chance to explain himself.
"I didn't want the others to feel like I was abandoning them." John let go of my arm. "Me and Commandramon are preparing to leave for Japan soon, but I'm not going to leave if there's work to be done here. It seems that Kara, your sister and Rocky are going to need my help," he sighed, letting out a deep, elongated breath. "You know, Ben, I feel like there's a reason we've all got Digimon. There is a reason we are Digidestined. I believe that the answer to that- for me – is waiting in Japan. But enough about that, I have to escort you home. Someone is going to need to cover for your sister. I'm going to stop in on Kara and Rocky's house."
I showed John the way back to my house, where he just carried on walking without even saying goodbye.
"Bye, John…"
As I walked up the path to the house, I wondered what I was going to tell Mum and Dad. Well, Mum and Geoffrey; Geoffrey is Tilly's dad. My mum and him got together when I was very young, so I've always seen Geoffrey as more of a father figure, and Tilly more like a sister.
The shrill drill of the bell echoed throughout the hallway inside.
"Benny?" Mum called out.
Through the bumpy, mosaic glass window above the letterbox, I could see movement as Mum rushed to the door.
"Benny, where have you been?" she asked, wrapping an arm around me and pulling me inside so that the nosey old lady across the road wouldn't notice too much.
"I was out playing with my friends and forgot the time-"
"And your shoes!" she shrieked. "And your clothes! Have you been rolling in the mud with these friends?"
"No, I just tripped over- that's all…"
"And where's Tilly?" Mum folded her arms. "Benjamin?"
The use of my full name made me knew that she was mad – she had always used Benjamin whenever I had done something wrong, or she wanted to know something.
"She's at a friend's or something. I don't know…" I murmured.
Mum pulled out her phone. "Well, I will just check that then…" she mumbled to herself. "I didn't know she had a friend at that scientific research place." Mum's eyebrows raised causing deep lines to course along her forehead.
"Oh yeah. She said trip, or a sleepover, or working there. I can't remember okay, but she definitely didn't want to be disturbed so I wouldn't call because she just wants to get good grades for biology and psycholology."
I could never say that word.
Dad came into the hallway, folding up his newspaper. "Psychology, Benny… Psychology."
My nostrils began to flare, I hated being belittled, and Geoffrey had a tendency to do that.
Before another world could be said, I pulled off my shoes and dropped them on the mat. I then stomped up the stairs with heavy feet.
"Benjamin, where are you going?" Mum called out helplessly.
"Just leave me alone!" I screamed from the top of the stairs, feeling the rage explode from my body and a lump in my throat.
Darting for my room, I slammed my bedroom door shut. Everything in my room was neat and tidy – just how I like it to be.
But it was all getting to me, I slid down the wooden door and hugged my knees. The flood gates opened and I couldn't stop myself from crying.
The next day, after school, I debated going to see if I could help John get the others out of the DEPT compound – or maybe help the others too.
I pressed one of the buttons on the Digivice to get to the detection system. There weren't any Digimon in the area according to the Digivice. I wondered if I could work out a way to open the gate to the Digital World – but I needed to think rationally because, it could blow up in my face.
After much deliberation, I made the decision to venture over to the DEPT headquarters. I was trekking along the path towards the headquarters – Rocky had mentioned where it was in the past.
"I thought I told you to keep your distance from this place."
It felt like my body had completely jumped out of my skin and ran off away down the path.
I turned to see John following me up the path.
"Commandramon!" he said loudly.
My brain clicked, this so-called Commandramon must be his Digimon. He stepped out from the wooded forests and span around as if he was searching the area.
Commandramon was like a blue scaly reptile with a helmet perched on his head and a peculiar guns in his clawed hands.
"The area's clear, John. Are you sure this is how you want to do things?" Commandramon asked quietly in a relatively hoarse voice.
"It has to be done. If I don't, the Digimon don't stand a chance. Besides, I've got Japan to think of – I'm due there soon."
I was curious to know exactly what John was going to do and burst out, "What is it that you're going to do?"
"You don't need to know, kid."
"Stop calling me kid!" I yelled.
His expression turned to anger and he grabbed my wrist, pulling me closer to the wooded area to the side of the path.
"You need to listen to me-" he growled with the ferocity of a lion.
"No, I want to help my sister. And you can't stop me, I want to help save the day. I won't go home. You need my help."
John rolled his eyes and let his head loll back and then drop.
Commandramon placed a hand on John's arm. "We could use him. He might come in helpful."
A squeaking almost kissing noise escaped his mouth. "Fine, but you do as I say. You got it?" John's finger waved in front of my face.
My head bobbed up and down rapidly, grateful that he was going to let me help – I can help out too, he just doesn't know it yet.
John seemed to know his way to the loading area of the DEPT's compound. It was so weird seeing it for the first time – the place was huge, and with steel walls and not a window in sight, it was like nothing I had ever seen before.
"What can I call you?" John asked as he open an electrical panel on the wall.
Every inch of my body was telling me that I should shut it for him – I thought that the huge hazardous warning on the front of the panel would have been enough to deter even the deadliest daredevil away.
I came back to reality and watched John poke about the inside of the panel, pulling particular wires out.
"Benji…"
"Right Benji, you're going to have to do me a little favour. You're going to have a little wander into the compound. Think of it as a scouting expedition. You're going to be looking for you stepsister and the others. They will probably be in the holding cells – they're just one floor up. You'll know when you've found them. No questions?" Before I could answer, John carried on discussing the most elaborate plan I had ever heard. "Good, after I cut these wires, you've got a good five minute head start before they cotton on that I've disabled the locks on the doors. You'd think that they'd have a better security system, but I suppose it's where you least expect it."
John pulled out a Swiss army knife, and with a quick flick of his wrist, a sharp, pointed knife clicked out. With great ease, it sliced through the wires.
"Go Benji, it's just one small step for you!" he grinned, pocketing the army knife.
I pulled open the door strongly and froze in the doorway, because it seemed so quiet and peaceful inside. Remembering John say something about the holding cells being one floor up, I headed for the stairs to the right. The walls were pristine white, not a mark was in sight. I heard footsteps just as I was about to step out onto the corridor at the top of the stairs.
Instinctively, I screwed my eyes shut tight and pressed my back to the wall – hoping with every inch of my body that they would walk past the stairs and I would go unnoticed. The clip clop of their shoes told me that they had gone now. And I let out a huge sigh.
"Right, let's keep going."
As I wandered the corridor alone, I wished that I had Gummymon with me. Having seen John and Commandramon; Kara and Lalamon; Rocky and Candlemon and – Tilly and Liomon, I felt myself missing my little partner more and more. I thought that maybe I could find someone in this building that could help me bring him back, or at least get me into the Digital World.
The corridors were white and had numerous metal grey doors lined along it with huge, long windows looking into the cells inside. I just had to find out where they were holding my sister and the others. There were loads of Digimon being held in the cells I walked past, which made me want to do something to help them.
I remembered John saying something about the locks being inactive. So with that, I set about opening as many of the doors as I could, but the Digimon didn't come out. They were still stuck in these chains.
"Wait, I'll help you," I said, approaching one of the Digimon that was like a large rabbit with a frog like nose. Extending my hand out to it, I tried to calm the nervous Digimon. "I'm going to pull this chain. Perhaps you can help me too."
My hands gripped the chain that held the Digimon to the wall. It was stuck solid, there was no way I could pull it away all by myself… But that didn't stop me.
"Stand back…" the Digimon managed to muster up.
"Alright." I scampered back towards the door.
"Super thunder strike!"
The electrical waves struck the chain and it instantly snapped, shattering into numerous pieces.
"I'm getting out of here." The blue and red Digimon darted past me and out onto the corridor.
"Wait!" I called out, panicking that it could get captured.
The door was still open- so I took my chance and pushed myself up off the floor and towards it. Out of nowhere, I saw a man in a white lab coat appear in the doorway, grabbing the handle and slamming it shut.
That didn't stop me, I still ran into the door and jerked the handle desperately. Deep down, I hoped that someone would open the door for me.
Out of the corner of my eye, I saw a tall, scary looking man in an army uniform march past the window, followed by a large huddle of soldiers. It was like they were protecting something- something that I couldn't really see, even with my face pressed up against the window.
Then the corridors were empty.
Which made me want to get out quickly.
I turned around to look at the cell. It was horrible – I felt so sorry for that Digimon that was being held in here. No wonder they wanted to get away so quickly.
"How am I going to get out of here?" I muttered to myself.
The more time I spent in that cell, the more I felt like the walls were moving – as if they were getting closer to me. My breathing quickened and deepened considerably that I ended up backing myself up against the window and shrinking down to the floor. It got harder and harder to breath, I spun around, rolling along the floor. A whimper gurgled in my throat as I curled up on the floor. My brain was going into overload and I screwed my eyes shut, hoping that this claustrophobic feeling would go away.
It was the most horrible feeling I could ever imagine. I had nightmares about being trapped in a box ever since I was little. Mum tried to make me overcome this claustrophobia, but it never worked.
Through all my whimpering and wheezing, I was relieved when I heard the door open. It was as if the air flooded into the cell and into my lungs.
"Benji? You alright?"
My vision was a little blurred and I felt myself being lifted off the floor and over the person's shoulder. The green of their jacket was the only thing I could see as I bobbed up and down through the corridors.
"Hold it right there, Mister Walker," a hard and strong sounding man called out from the direction we had just come from.
My saviour froze, unable to decide exactly what to do. I was so thankful that I was out in a wider corridor than that cell.
"Easy now, Mister Walker. You see, we both want the same things, you and I. We both want to see the Digimon protected. Here at DEPT, we can provide that protection."
"Put me down…" I muttered, wheezing at the force of Rocky Walker's shoulder digging into part of my stomach.
Gently and carefully, he lowered me to the floor, I turned around to see the man in the army uniform.
"Stand down, Rocky," he said.
"Now, no. Right now, the others are getting away – you can't stop us," Rocky replied, putting on a brave face.
"Don't you want to know exactly just how to make your Digimon evolve to the next stage – the champion stage? He's looking a little weak now." The man folded his arms.
I looked to Rocky, seeing the contemplation on his face. Candlemon was on his other side with an expression that told me that he was hurt by the man's comments.
"Rocky…" I whispered.
"Quiet," he snapped bluntly. "Sorry."
"It's okay."
The man took one step closer. "You know you want to know Rocky. Do yourself a favour, okay?"
There was this tense feeling lingering in the air that didn't seem to budge. I waited by Rocky's side, hoping that he would choose to go.
"You can try to bribe me into doing your dirty work with promises like that. But I won't do it – that's one difference between us, I'm not a pushover, and unlike you – I care about the Digimon. Come on, Benji."
"Gummymon's waiting for you, Benny."
I gasped, unable to stay strong like Rocky was being. "Where?"
"He's in this compound. We got him back…"
"You're lying!" I screeched, turning to run away.
Rocky grabbed the sleeve of my jacket and hauled me down the stairs that were nearby. "Candlemon, get the door!"
Candlemon bounded over the bannister and opened the loading bay door.
"Nice one, Candlemon," Rocky said, appreciating his partner's efficiency. "Come on, Benji. Tilly is waiting for you now."
I glanced down at my Digivice, which seemed to have a peculiar new screen on it. Maybe it was something to do with opening the Digital Gate, but there wasn't enough time to check it out when Rocky dragged me down the steps and in between the two parked lorries.
In front of us was the fence that I assumed ran the entire border of the compound. It made me feel that the compound was much bigger than it was.
"Come on," Rocky whispered, peering around the front of the lorries for soldiers. He backed away, pressing himself up against the lorry, his arm extended out so that he pushed me back alongside the lorry.
I could feel the cold side of the huge truck on the back of my neck, but I didn't let it bother me. Rocky would only get mad, and I had the feeling that there were soldiers nearby.
Then I saw them run straight past the front of the lorries only mere feet away from us.
"That was a close one," I murmured.
"You're telling me, Benji," Rocky replied calmly.
Rocky leaned forwards and then dashed out into the fence, which he pulled up and ducked under. But when he was on the other side, he held it up.
I hadn't even realised that he wanted me to follow him until he waved his hand like crazy, beckoning me over. Frantically searching the area, I stumbled towards the fence. Pressing my body to the floor, I heard Rocky grunt in an attempt to lift up the corner of the fence higher.
"Quickly, Benji. I can't hold this forever."
I crawled through the gap and dusted myself down almost instantly, feeling my neat instincts coming in. As I dusted myself, I slapped my Digivice.
That's when something weird happened.
The central screen and its four buttons down, as if it was meant to be pressed down.
"Benji!" I heard Tilly scream; she was running towards me, along with Kara and their Digimon.
A small green oval shape portal appeared in front of me and Rocky.
"It's a gate!" Rocky yelled. "Benji, get away."
Something strange occurred. I was almost lifted off the ground and through the portal.
"Help!" I screamed, clawing the air for someone's arm, hand – or just something that could help keep me in the human world.
Yeah, part of me wanted to go to the Digital World to find Gummymon, but not like this. I wanted to find him myself – when I was ready to go into this 'other world'.
"Benji!" I heard multiple screams.
"No Rocky!" Kara yelled afterwards.
I began to tumble and spin out of control as I started to journey towards the Digital World. There was so many colourful wires lining the tunnel I was travelling through.
Then a light started to show up at the end of this tunnel. That was where I was heading.
That was the Digital World.
I hit the ground with a mighty thump as I was flung out of the Digital tunnel.
Another grunt followed mine as if someone had landed in the dirt beside me.
"Wow Benji, you really dropped us in it now…"
Rocky! He was here with me, and together, we were going to find Gummymon.
Thoughts from AspiringWriterGirl = Okay, admittedly it's a shorter chapter, but I wanted to give you something to read whilst I'm away. I won't be doing any posting – unless I can get a room to myself during the day which is highly unlikely!
Make sure to have a look at review replies for chapter eleven which I will post in the topic thread called "The Thread for The Tangled Web" on The Digital Connections forum – it's a great forum with loads of topics on particular stories, a writing masterclass and just a chat one too!
At last! They are finally in the Digital World! But what's waiting for Rocky and Benji here.