Tamers West

Chapter 21:Allies

The Master and Darwin returned to the laboratory where Elle lay unconscious on the table her skin flushed red as her blood worked hard to distribute the flood of fluids and material that had recently been injected into her body.

Around the table sat trays filled with used syringes and empty bottles shining in the white light of the lab. The cleanest room in the building there was not a trace of dirt or grime despite its actual age though many parts of it were covered in plastic.

"Thank you for your services doctor", Darwin said pleasantly.

The doctor didn't reply. He simply pulled off his rubber gloves and left the room. They paid him no mind.

Four Bakemon entered and worked together to pick up Elle.

"Bring her to the basement with that other thing", The Master ordered."And be careful she's valuable."

Wordlessly the Bakemon obeyed and carried Elle out of the room to the basement.

"Boss Boss!", someone shouted from down the hall. A small scrawny man ran into the room in a near panic.

"It's bad Boss! The factory's been leveled!"

"What!"

"I just saw a news report, the whole factory's been flattened! There's nothing left!"

Darwin staggered back a few steps.

"How? Those small time gangs couldn't have leveled a building like that! Even if they all worked together they wouldn't be able to do it without us noticing, and all the Bakemon there would have stopped them!"

"Leave this to me." The Master said coolly."I'll find out what happened. You just worry about keeping the operation going."

The Master walked past the small man and out of the room with purpose. No human could have accomplished that deed. That left only one other possibility.

A cold grin spread across The Master's features.

"This might actually be fun."

"Whew I feel like I ran halfway around the world." Commandramon said as he sat on the cool floor of the McCoy's garage.

After carrying everyone the rest of the way there he dedigivolved. They had reached the home just after the others had arrived in the car.

Mr. McCoy had told them to go to the garage where he could scan their unconscious new associate. The other digimon watched intently as Dr. McCoy used his laptop and another device to scan its unconscious form.

"I'm amazed how fast you were!", Richard exclaimed to the cyborg. "You almost beat us here!"

Commandramon grinned.

"That's the power of digivolution. I can't believe I finally did it!"

"Is it hard?"

"For digimon it is one of the hardest goals to reach cause most end up dead before they reach champion level."

"Champion level?"

"It's one of the levels of digivolution", Alice explained. "Right now he's at the rookies stage but Sealsdramon is a champion level."

Richard scratched his head.

"This sure is complicated; right Hans?"

Hans however was not paying attention to him or the conversation. He was totally fixated on Dr. McCoy and the dinosaur like creature lying on the floor. He seemed worried, as though he was waiting for the prognosis on his favorite pet.

Richard sighed. Hans had always been an enigma, and it didn't look like there was even a remote chance of that changing for the foreseeable future.

Finally Dr. McCoy set down the scanner and began looking at the data on the laptop.

"How's it look doc?" Jeff asked.

Dr. McCoy frowned.

"I'm not really sure. There some strange anomaly. I'm not sure what it is. I'll need to run some more tests."

"That might take a while doc. I don't think he's in any condition to write anything at the moment", Mike joked."

"This is serious", Jeff chided him. "That anomaly could be what made him so dangerous!"

Mike held up his hands in defense.

"Hey I was only trying to lighten the mood. Air's to heavy in here."

"Then find another room", Jeff suggested.

Mike rolled his eyes and looked over at the woman who had brought them.

Amy stood in the corner wary of the beast that lay on the floor but also intensely curious. She watched everything going on in the garage with interest.

The heavy silence in the room was suddenly broken as Mike stepped towards her and asked:

"So what were you doing out in that part of town. You seemed a bit too upper crust to be hanging around there."

She stood there a moment, trying to decide what to tell them, or if she would tell them at all.

"I was going to investigate the ghosts in the factory", she replied. "I didn't expect to almost be burned alive by some digital Godzilla."

"It wasn't his fault!", Hans yelled.

Everyone turned to look at them but he didn't return their gaze. He kept his eyes focused on "Godzilla".

"Now what were you kids doing there?" Amy asked.

"We were looking for clues about where Elle might have been taken", Jeff responded.

This got her full attention.

"What? What did you find?"

Alice reached into her purse and pulled out one of each of the bags they had found.

Amy walked over to her, giving the Black Augumon a wide birth and looked closely at the contents of the bags.

"This is exactly what I found."

Now everyone's attention was on her.

"Found where!", Jeff asked desperately.

"Uh, um, I meant the police found bags just like that at that adult entertainment store where that big murder took place."

There were looks of puzzlement on the children's faces, wondering what the connection was between this and one of the biggest murders in years?

"If we could find out who they sold them to then maybe we could find where Elle is!", Jeff exclaimed.

"That's assuming a lot", Richard pointed out. "That would be assuming that the store was their only customer which considering the size of the factory I'd doubt, and that the people we're looking for our customers rather than the people who run the factory in the first place."

Jeff scowled but had to concede his point. They just didn't have enough clues.

"If we need more clues", Amy said. "Then we should find out just what's in these bags."

"How?" Mike asked. "We don't know anything about drugs."

"I know a pharmacist who can help. From there she might be able to give us someone we can contact to get more info."

"Sounds like a good place to start", Jeff agreed. "It's our only lead."

"We should probably wait for Xander before we do anything," Mike quipped. "He hates being left out of the fun."

It was then that Alice brought up something that had been bothering her since they arrived.

"Where is Xander?"

Jeff shrugged.

"He asked to be dropped off somewhere downtown after we ditched the cops."

"What? Why?"

Mike sighed.

"With him; who knows?"

There was much activity in the area. They could hear the sounds of heavy traffic echoing off the walls. However on the street on which they were walking it was completely devoid of any activity.

It was amazing that so close to one of the city's busiest sectors this area would be so dead.

Not a single car was present not even parked along the street. The buildings were old ware houses or closed down businesses that had been boarded up. Or the back of buildings that faced the busier streets.

Tech walked beside his tamer rather than on the roofs like before. Xander said that no one would take notice. Would no one really notice a short person wearing a large cloak and wide brimmed hat and carrying a scepter? Or was is it simply that there was no one around to see him.

"Here we are."

The building Xander was leading them to was unlike most of the other buildings on the street. While it was basically the same colour brick as the others(a rusty brown) it lacked the abundant plywood covered windows, instead it only had a few windows on the front of the building and a small circular porthole window on the second floor facing the street. Finally a wooden sign with "Greg's Diner" in large red faded letters hung on the wall.

It seemed less unscrupulous than the bar they went to the other day, it actually looked rather quaint.

"She's in there. You can come inside, no one will pay attention to you."

Tech wasn't so sure that was such a good idea but on the other hand he really did want to go inside rather than stay out on the roof like always. Come to think of it the only buildings he had been inside since coming to the real world were Xander's house, the McCoy's house and the factory from today.

They entered the building triggering a bell as they opened the door, startling Tech slightly. This was a new experience for him. Walking into an establishment as if a normal resident of this world.

The inside of the dinner was rather dark with most of the illumination coming from old wall mounted lights and a pair of ceiling fans; plus the natural light coming from the windows on the front of the building. The diner was rustic to say the least.

Wooden chairs and small wooden circular tables a picnic bench and a booth that was clearly from another restaurant served as the seating for the diner. It was becoming more and more similar to the bar.

Xander lead them to the stainless steel counter in front of the kitchen where there was a cash register on the right side and a blackboard with the menu written out in green chalk on the left.

"I'm coming", a voice called from the back of the kitchen.

A woman came out from the kitchen and to the counter. Her matted brown hair was tied up in a bun and covered by a hair net. Overtop her grey shirt and sweat pants she wore a badly stained apron. Unlike the dinner her face was youthful though a bit tired. She looked surprised to see them without even making eye contact with Tech.

"Zander! Haven't seen you for a while."

"Hello Miranda. Sorry I haven't visited for a while but school just started again."

"Yeah I guess. I haven't seen Noir around either."

There was that name again.

"She's having some problems at home right now."

Miranda's features formed into an amused grin.

"Well let's be honest she isn't the most well behaved girl."

"Speaking of which where's Elsa?"

Miranda sighed.

"She's probably sleeping. She was up all night again doing who knows what."

"I'll get her up", Xander said as he headed around the kitchen.

"Suit yourself", Miranda said.

As Xander walked up the stairs to the second floor Miranda turned to look at Tech.

"So what's your story?"

Tech paused. He wasn't sure what to say. He had never spoken to a human outside their group. What was he supposed to say?

"I'm sorry, I'm not sure I understand the question."

"Why are you hanging around with Zander?"

He paused again and considered a way to answer without giving up the fact that he was a digimon.

"We're looking for clue's towards Elle's disappearance", he answered at last.

Of course there was no guarantee that Miranda knew Elle or even if she was missing, but the somber expression on her face revealed that she was well aware of both.

"Yeah; heard about that. Poor girl, she deserves to be treated so much better."

Tech leaned forward slightly.

"She has a history with this?"

Miranda snorted and sat down on a stool behind the desk.

"Pedophiles go crazy for her. Everyone says it's like she's been cursed. She's always been very pretty and she's the sweetest girl I've ever met. She's like an older sister to my Elsa."

Her eyes became distant and wistful. No doubt she was reliving fond memories of Elle as she tried to cope with the harsh reality of the girl's current situation.

"Have you found out anything?"

Tech sighed.

"Only a drug and the factory where they make them."

"What's drugs got to do with her kidnapping?", Miranda asked.

"An orange drug tablet was found where we believe Elle to have been kidnapped."

Miranda frowned.

"That could have just been a drug tablet someone dropped. You don't know that it belonged to the kidnappers."

"It's all we have", Tech said firmly.

Now it was Miranda's turn to sigh.

"I guess doing something is better than doing nothing."

Tech could only nod in agreement. He had nothing to add."

Xander marched up the old hardwood steps onto the second floor of the restaurant where Miranda and her daughter Elsa actually lived.

He walked down the hall on a familiar path to the door at the very end. and knocked.

"Elsa are you awake?"

There was no reply. He didn't expect one though; what little sleep Elsa got was deep indeed.

He grasped the door handle then slowly and silently opened the door.

He braced himself as the wave of warm dry air and the smell of unwashed clothes that were strewn about the room.

Illuminating the room was the single porthole window that they had seen outside and the lights coming from the numerous computers and electronics that were set up throughout the room generating a constant humming.

In one corner of the room was a desk with six monitors set up and a plush office chair that blocked the view of the three keyboards that accompanied them.

Opposite the room from him though, underneath the porthole was a bed whose lone occupant lay asleep twisted and tangled in the sheets. The legs of her green pajama pants had been rolled up almost all the way and her matching pajama shirt more than halfway to her chest.

He walked over to her bedside and looked down at her.

Despite the state of her clothes and bed her long strait black hair was relatively untangled. With her perfect pale white complexion and her only movement being the gentle rising and falling of her chest she looked like a porcelain doll, peacefully asleep.

'Maybe if I sit her up her eyes will open', Xander mused.

He leaned over and gently brushed the back of his hand against her cheek.

Wakey Wakey Elsa.

She remained unmoving so he tried shacking her a bit but she still remained asleep.

"Alright Elsa we'll do it the hard way."

He brought his hands down to her exposed midsection and began to tickle her.

Reflexively her hands tried to push his away as a smile broke her peaceful expression and she suddenly erupted into a fit of giggles.

"Alright, alright I'm up!", she yelled finally awake.

Xander ceased his attack and allowed her to recover.

"About, time. I thought I was going to have to resort to drastic measured."

Suddenly Elsa's face turned from one of involuntary amusement to one of horror as she realized who was in her room and she let out a small scream while frantically trying to cover herself in her sheets only to discover she was completely tangled in them.

"What are you doing in my room?" she shouted as she tried desperately to untangle herself.

"You're mom told me to wake you up; and since tickling always works so well for your mom I figured I'd use it."

Her normally pale face was now flushed a bright red.

"A guy can't just go and tickle a girl while she's asleep."

"He can if it gets results", Xander replied obnoxiously.

"What do you want?" she yelled again!

"That can wait, first I think you mother wants you downstairs."

Elsa grumbled and stood up and stretched.

"Fine, I'm hungry anyway."

Xander smirked.

"I see you're liking the PJs that Noir gave you."

Elsa's cheeks flushed again.

"Yeah, they're soft and cute but I wanted something... sexier."

Xander rolled his eyes.

"Elsa you're eleven you shouldn't even be thinking about sex appeal at your age. Besides your body hasn't matured enough yet for those types of clothes to do it any justice. You'd look terrible like those kids on that TV show."

"I'm only a year younger than you", Elsa shot back. "You don't have the right to lecture me. Besides what's wrong with wanting maturity?"

"Sex appeal and maturity are two different things Elsa", Xander said with his hand on his hips.

He gently put a hand on her head.

"Don't be so quick to grow up Elsa. Enjoy your youth while you have it".

Elsa pushed his hand away.

"You sound like my grandmother", she chided. "Besides you're the hypocrite here mister: I've had a lover since age ten."

"That's different", he insisted. "Our relationship is one of mutual attraction and Noir doesn't dress sexy in public; she's just very good at wearing clothes that suit that nymphet form of hers."

Elsa made a face.

"'Nymphet?' Is that one of your pet names for her?"

"Amongst other things", Xander replied.

"But we're getting off topic, you're supposed to be going downstairs for lunch."

Elsa grumbled but put on her slippers and followed Xander out of her room and down the stairs.

Xander could here light chatter coming from the diner below. Were Tech and Miranda having a talking to each other?

As they rounded the corner his suspicions were confirmed as he caught the two making polite conversation.

"I brought her", Xander interrupted.

The two looked at Elsa Tech with intrigue and Miranda with a parental frown.

"And what were you doing up so early last night?" she asked her daughter.

"Can't I have breakfast first Mom", Elsa groaned.

"Oh, never mind, and it's lunch time. I just made soup so hurry up and eat and get changed before the customers start coming."

Grumbling Elsa obeyed and went into the kitchen to get her lunch.

Xander smiled and shook his head.

"She's a good girl really but she needs to spend more time away from the internet."

Miranda huffed.

"It's her school that's making her like that. All the girls in her class are budding prostitutes."

Xander sighed and put some money on the counter.

"Put us down for some soup too."

Miranda smiled.

"Coming right up."

Xander took a stool beside Tech and Elsa returned with her bowl and took a seat behind the counter neat the cash register.

"So why did you actually come here?", Elsa asked. "Usually you don't visit me unless Noir is with you or unless you need me for something."

"Yes that's true", Xander admitted. "To be honest I need your help finding Elle."

Elsa paused eating and looked up at him.

"So she really is missing?"

"Kidnapped", he clarified. "And the only clue we have is that whoever took likely possessed some orange tablet like drug."

He reached into his pocket and handed it to her as Miranda returned with their soup.

Elsa held the tablet up to the light as she studied it.

"Doesn't look like any of the ones in circulation around here", she said.

"That old factory near Desrali was full of these and some grass like stuff. We weren't able to see any of the ingredients though."

"So you blew the factory up?" Elsa asked.

Xander chuckled.

"No we ran out of the building because it was going to blow up. In any case it should make the crews happy."

Elsa huffed.

"The crews won't be happy until whoever's responsible for these drugs is run out of town."

'Crews' referred to the areas resident gangs. Most of those who attended 'The Den' were members of these crews.

"At any rate if we can find out who's in charge of this stuff and what this drug does than we'll be that much closer to finding Elle. I know it's not much but it's all we got."

Elsa sighed.

"Well I have heard of kidnappers and those sick child porn bastards using drugs to keep their prisoners subdued somehow. That might be what this is."

Xander frowned.

"I'm not so sure. That table doesn't appear to be that old and there wasn't much of a smell coming from it. So it would have to be fed to them for them to be subdued by that and even if that's what that drug does why would they need a huge factory operation to make a huge supply for distribution? No this is definitely some kind of street drug."

Elsa scratched her chin.

"We'll I'll look into it. I've already been hacking some of the security cameras to find some of these guys but none of the dealers we've caught had any of the stuff."

"So all the crews are in on this?"

Elsa smirked.

"One of the few things they all agree on is that they want these guys out yesterday."

She set down the table and resumed eating her soup.

"With these new clues though I'll be able to make my searches more specific."

Xander nodded appreciatively.

"I'll be sure to keep you updated of any new clues we find."

He paused eating his soup when he noticed Elsa staring down blankly at her half empty bowl.

He reached across the counter and put a reassuring hand on her head.

"We'll find her Elsa. We'll find her."

Miranda went over and gave her daughter a gentle hug.

"That's right honey, you don't have to worry."

Elsa nodded and resumed eating her soup silently.

Xander wasn't surprised that she was taking Elle's disappearance so hard. Elle was like a big sister to her ever since Elle had volunteered her services at the restaurant to help them make ends meet back when they were struggling. In fact it was through Elle that he and Noir had met Miranda and Elsa.

"Elle had given so much to everyone around her. A bright golden light in a cold grey world; and someone was trying to take it away. Not without one hell of a fight."

Elle woke up to terrible abdominal pain clamping her eye lids tight before she even had a change to open them. She felt hot and sweaty, her heart was beating rapidly and her stomach growled hungrily.

With a great deal of effort she rolled onto her stomach which generated a jangling sound.

Frowning she pushed herself up and looked around straining to see anything in the dark room; but as she turned her head she felt something rub against her neck.

Tentatively she reached for it and her fingers grasped something that felt like leather and she realized it was wrapped snugly around her neck. She felt along it until she reached the back and felt something cold and hard. She suddenly realized that the jangling sound was that of a chain. She was tied up.

The chain was bolted to the concrete wall and as she looked around she felt more and more like a prisoner in a dungeon. The ceiling was low and there was not a single source of natural light. The only light came from the cracks in the ceiling and under the door.

The floor was just bare cement but she had a small rug to lie on. Better than nothing she supposed but she still wondered what she was doing here.

A low growl emanated from her stomach and echoed through the room showing just how empty it was.

At that moment the door swung wide open forcing her to shield her eyes from the intense light.

She heard a light clunk in front of her and a few similar clunks from other parts of the room. Just as her eyes finally started to adjust a few blurry figures exited the room and shut the door behind them returning the room to darkness.

Elle blinked as her eyes worked to readjust themselves and then tried to investigate what they had dropped in front of her.

Still blind she reached out with her hands and came into contact with something metallic and she was surprised when she recognized it as a large metal bowl, not unlike what she would use to make cookies. Despite not being able to see it she knew without a doubt that was what it was. The thought stirred up her growing hunger which drove her to check if something was in the bowl.

Tentatively she reached her hand into the bowl and felt a familiar sensation. It was dough, bread dough it felt like.

She pulled out a small handful and using what amount of sight had returned analyzed it.

She couldn't see what colour it was but the overall look, the texture, the way it broke apart was the same. The smell was odd, a bit bitter even and the tast...

"ugh"

It had the taste and texture of saw dust. But from the smacking and sloppy sounds coming from other parts of the room it was clearly edible and her blazing hunger would not let her refuse it.

She shoved what she had in her hand into her mouth and almost gagged but hurriedly swallowed the portion. It was surprisingly moist despite the taste and it felt so good as it fell into her barren stomach. Compared to what she had been eating since she got here it was so much more satisfying.

She stuck her hand into the bowl and shoveled handful after handful into her mouth so fast she nearly gagged again and warily slowed her pace slowly but surely satisfying her hunger. She kept going until her fingers were merely scrapping the bowl.

Satisfied she sat down and let out a heavy sigh. Without her hunger nagging at her mind she was able to think and properly analyze her surroundings.

Her eyes now properly adjusted she could see other people in the room each chained to the wall like she was.

They had all finished or nearly finished their own bowls, she could only make out their vague shapes in the darkness. She couldn't really tell what they looked like.

Elle stiffened when she heard a noise and turned to see the small silhouette of someone just in front of her closer to the door.

It was lying down on its face moaning softly as it slowly tried to move towards her.

"Hey, are you okay?", Elle asked gently.

A pair of dark pink eyes looked back at her, desperate, pleading. It broke her heart to see such eyes.

Elle suddenly realized that unlike everyone else this person didn't have a bowl. It was starving!

A wave of shame and self loathing washed over Elle as she realized she had made a pig of herself in front of this poor starving...

Elle was suddenly aware of the odd shape of the form. For one thing it was so small and yet it had large... ears? Was this some kind of outfit?

Elle grabbed her bowl and sent it skidding along the ground up to the small form.

"If you lick the bowl you should be able to get something."

The pink eyes looked at the large bowl for a moment then looked back at her and seemed to smile. Then the small figure tipped the bowl over and started licking.

Elle tugged at her own clothes. The thin fabric of the simple clothing she had been given clung to her hot sweaty skin.

Swallowing she moved off the rug and cautiously sat her bottom on the cool concrete floor. She hissed as the cold floor sent a shock through her system but relaxed as it dissipated. She felt vulnerable without any panties under her already tiny skirt but at least the rag-like shirt was able to cover her chest properly but it didn't even have sleeves that she instinctively tried to roll up.

There was a small metallic clang as the metal bowl settled down on its base. The little thing had licked the bowl clean.

Elle hoped it was able to get some energy from what has left in the bowl.

A moment later the door opened forcing everyone to shield their eyes once more.

This time a single figure came in the footsteps of hard soled shoes clacking against the concrete floor.

Whoever it was began collecting all of the bowls until she got to Elle.

"So they did send you here."

Elle recognized that voice.

"Lolita?"

Squinting Elle could see the icy haired girl sanding above her carrying the bowls in a black maid uniform.

The uniform showed off most of her back and had only a short skirt. She word long black stockings black dressy shoes on her little feet. The top was mostly covered by the frilly white apron which was of normal length and short sleeves and the classic headband completed the ensample.

Elle suddenly understood why no one envied Lolita's so called freedom. If anything it was a worse fate.

"What do you mean? Where am I?"

Lolita sighed.

"This is where they put all their... experiments."

Elle didn't like the sound of that.

"Experiments?"

Lolita stepped out of the way to let Elle see the others and it was not a pleasant sight.

There was one girl who looked only nine years old her eyes were dark red and her skin was deathly pale though part of that was no doubt attributed to being kept in this dark room.

Another appeared to be as tall as a sixteen year old girl, yet her proportions were that of someone about nine or ten.

Another looked six or seven but had an ample pair of breasts. It looked so wrong, so demented.

"I don't know what they're planning for you", Lolita went on. "But I do know they've been waiting for you for a long time. You're they're big new money making scheme."

Elle scowled then looked over at the small creature she had sent the bowl to and was shocked.

The creature was a small pink rabbit like creature with two round floppy ears and then two smaller perky ears on the top of her head. Her body ended in a strange gown like ruffle and there were yellow crescent shapes all over her body.

"I don't know what that thing is", Lolita said. "All I know is that it's a similar kind of creature to those ghost things."

"It's a digimon", Elle replied calmly. They're not from this world."

Lolita raised an eyebrow.

"Oh is that what they're called?"

She picked up the last bowl and headed for the door.

As Lolita walked away Elle noticed something on her back. A strange marking which appeared to be a hollow circle with six stubby spokes jutting out of it at even intervals. Within the circle was a crescent shape taking up half the area and in the other half there was a trio of interconnecting rings.

Before she could ask about it Lolita closed the door plunging the room into darkness once again.

Sighing Elle turned towards the digimon and asked:

"What's your name?"

The digimon paused for a moment and then answered in a soft quiet voice.

"Lunamon."