"We're home..."
Angie looked disbelieving until Koromon jumped up onto her shoulder.
"We did it a'right…" Izzy agreed, Tsunomon tucked under her arm.
"Are you okay, Pat?"
"I feel waterlogged…"
"Motimon, how are you feeling?"
"Come back when my head stops spinning…"
"Pal, are you going to vomit?"
A groan…
"Go to the bushes…"
"Biyo, I'm home! Isn't it great?"
"It's beautiful!"
"Little man, ya look kinda outta it…Ya better not barf on me."
"So many pretty COLORS…"
"…Ya 'it yer 'ead, didn't ya?"
"Are you an ANGEL?"
"…Yep, yer DEFINITELY outta it…"
Everyone felt a bit dizzy and nauseous from the trip, but the feelings passed after a few minutes.
Angie sighed, turning to the Digimon.
"We don't want to be discovered just yet. You guys need to stay silent and still. Pretend to be stuffed animals or something."
"Won't my pop be a little suspicious if 'e sees me wit' a 'stuffed animal'?"
"Rosie can carry Tsunomon around for you in the lair."
"Ya too, Elie. Be careful wit' 'im."
"I'll take care of him, Z!"
"Better turn on the watches." Gabriel suggested.
"We should start looking on the way to the lair."
"Why not go around a bit?" Lily suggested.
"She's right. They're not expecting us back all day." Angie reminded.
Izzy smirked, Tsunomon tucked under her arm.
"I say we enjoy this!"
"Alright!" Elie agreed.
Carrying their Digimon like stuffed animas and turning on the watches, the group trekked out to the streets.
"Whoa! What are they?"
Covering her partner's mouth, Rose sighed.
"They're real humans, Pat. Now don't talk!"
The turtles felt at home on the busy streets of New York, dodging pedestrians and rogue pets.
It was a chilly day for summer, and Gabriel was trying to keep his partner warm as he followed the group.
"Look at the LOSER squad."
Izzy and Z froze, deadly glares on the trio of girls they'd been passing.
One seemed to be the leader, the other two copycat lackeys.
"Excuse me?" The blue-eyed hothead demanded.
"I don't thin' we 'eard ya right…" A now red-haired Izzy agreed.
Angie stepped between the groups, intent on avoiding a fight.
"If you have something to say, say it to my face." She demanded as Elie and Rose came to try and calm their elder siblings.
"If you say so, little Miss Perfect."
Crimson eyes narrowed…
"Excuse me?"
The ringleader, a very skinny brunette with too much make-up and very revealing clothes, smirked.
"You heard me. I didn't know blondes were deaf AND stupid."
The blonde-haired leader held back her anger, clenching her fists…
'It's not worth it…It's not worth it…'
"And don't you feel ridiculous carrying that ugly, ratty old thing around?"
'Oh F*** no!'
The girl was knocked to the ground by a harsh punch to the face, and Angie was fighting for control as everyone stared at her in surprise…
"Shut up…" She finally ground out.
"Next time you decide to shoot your mouth off, DON'T."
Picking up Koromon, she turned to continue on her way…
"You BITCH!!!"
They all stopped, feeling angry and worried all at once as the cousins spotted the blank look on Angie's face…
"You're all some kinds of FREAKS!!! Why don't you all just DIE, you f***ing whores!?!"
A knee met the girl's stomach, then an elbow struck her throat.
Angie managed to hold herself back, but Izzy and Z weren't so merciful.
They beat her soundly, clearly outraged, and soon all three herded their family along.
The lackeys took this chance to help their fallen 'friend'…
Now clearly on-edge with rage, the disguised she-turtle leader huffed ahead of the others.
Koromon tried to soothe her, but with little success.
"Angie's MAD…" Rose noted, Patamon nodding his agreement.
"Those girls were meanies." Elie stated decidedly, holding Biyomon in a hug to make it easier to carry her.
"They sort of deserved it…" Gabe admitted.
"Sort 'a? They were askin' fer it!" Z replied.
"They WERE egging us on…" Lily muttered, hugging Palmon tighter.
"She only got mad 'cause they dissed Koromon…" Izzy added in.
"We're all kinda protective 'a our partner's, so it was probably the straw that broke the turtle's shell…"
Angie stopped, causing the group to perk in interested wariness.
"Angie?"
Crimson eyes slowly scanned the streets…
"…Get in the alley…"
"Fearless, what's-?"
"Go up to the rooftops. Someone's spying on us."
Senses stretching now that this new information was pointed out, Izzy's eyes narrowed.
"Come on."
As the group slid into the shadows, turning off their watches before they clambered up the fire escape.
They barely cleared the edge, and Rose stopped with a squeak of fear.
"FOOT NINJA!"
Patamon, intent on protecting his partner from this new threat, jumped to the ground before her bristling.
Tsunomon and Koromon seemed to have the same feelings, though Motimon and the others held back.
"What the 'ell do ya want?" Z growled, glaring at the black-clad ninja surrounding them.
"Don't be snappy, little turtle."
Eyes narrowed, she almost snarled at Hun.
"Don't get friendly wit' me, buddy. I still 'aven't forgotten what ya did ta Izzy…"
"Neither 'ave I." The gold-eyed she-turtle agreed.
Angie stepped forward, Koromon at her side, and tried to seem imposing.
"What do you want, Hun?"
"My master wanted to see you all…"
"Master?" Lily wondered.
"He can't mean Karai…" Her brother informed.
"Hello, turtles…"
That voice…
Angie stiffened, then glared hotly.
"Shredder…"
"…'Ow the HELL is 'e still alive?" Izzy wondered.
"That's what I'D like to know…I thought I skewered him!" Her best friend replied.
"I thin' ya did…" Z pointed out.
"Kinda 'ard ta skewer an e'il alien when 'e's in a robot body, 'member?"
"…Who decided it was a good idea to NOT check if he was alive?!"
Lily smiled sheepishly…
"He LOOKED dead…"
"LILY!"
"I'm sorry!"
Clearly looking displeased at this new information, the crimson-eyed turtle sighed.
"Well, it's too late for this today…"
"Angie, I can take him!" Koromon stated confidently.
"Sorry, little guy. You're too weak to Digivolve still."
"I'll take 'im…" Izzy offered, nearly baring her teeth.
She froze when her hands burst into flame…
Staring at the appendages in confusion, an almost evil grin spread across her face…
"I LOVE Earth…"
The realization made all of the turtles smile…
"'ELL yeah…" Z stated, happy as a child in a candy store.
"We can't."
The cousins looked at their eldest cousin in confusion…
"We're busy. REMEMBER?"
"Oh, yeah…" Gabriel muttered.
"Dang it…"
"Searching for the eighth child, I presume?"
The sky-masked turtle halted…
"How do you know about that?" She snarled warily.
"I have my own acquaintances, little turtle."
Z growled.
"He knows Myotismon…"
"…Then we stay and fight."
Izzy smirked.
"Thank you for GREAT connections, kami…"
"We'll see how well you all fight when faced with a new opponent."
Hun whistled, followed by the trumpet of what sounded like an elephant.
Roars and crashes and shattering glass caused them to look over the edge…
"Holy shit…"
"Let me see…It's Mammothmon, a fully-Digivolved Digimon. His attacks are Tusk Crusher and Freezing Breath."
"Koromon, can you Digivolve?"
"Sorry, Angie…"
"Buddy, 'ow 'bout ya?"
"No…"
"We'll take care of it!"
Everyone seemed surprised when Elie stepped forward with her own partner, a grin on her face.
"Biyo can beat him no problem! Can I, Angie?"
The jade-skinned turtle looked to Z for permission…
"…Go get 'em, Elie."
With a short cheer, the orange-masked she-turtle turned to her partner.
"Let's do it, Biyo!"
"Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!"
With a caw, she flew up into the air before swooping down for Mammothmon.
"You can do it, Birdramon!"
She seemed to wilt when she realized Hun was behind her…
"Oh, hi!"
She seemed confident as ever…
"What are you thinking, you little shrimp?"
"I know you can't touch me." The dark-eyed little turtle replied.
"We'll see about that!"
His fist was stopped by an earth wall, and a column shot up to smack him away.
"Stay 'WAY from my sister!" Z roared, slamming into him.
There was a brawl, with water and earth and fire flashing through the air as their Digimon tried to help out.
"Boom Bubble!"
Rosie ducked under the body, smiling as her partner landed on her head.
"Thanks, Pat!"
"Poison Ivy!"
Lily ducked under the vines, bringing a whip of water out to knock the ninja off their feet.
"Come on, Pal!"
"MOTIMON!"
Gabe managed to knock a Foot Ninja away, scooping up his partner before he got skewered.
"Little man, ya min'…I don't know…'ELPIN'?!"
"I'm coming, Z!"
Sliding into Hun's legs from behind, Gomamon tripped the man up enough to fall.
"…Nice one, Gomamon…"
"Aw, it was nothing…"
"'Ey, back 'way from the little Digimon!" Izzy growled, tackling a ninja before he tried to stomp on her partner.
Angie grunted a bit in pain as she barely blocked Shredder's gauntlet with a rusty pipe.
"You can't win, Angela. You should know that."
"Maybe we will!"
Her foot snapped up, and she pushed off his chest into a back-flip.
"Angie!"
She whipped around to see her partner…
"Koromon!"
"Bubble Blow!"
Catching him in midair before he was cut open, she jumped back and whistled.
"Come ON, guys!"
"Birdramon!" Elie shouted.
"Freezing Breath!"
The phoenix Digimon was knocked back, and crashed through a short building…
"BIRDRAMON!!!"
The turtles retreated, intent on helping Birdramon, and only got to street-level…
Elie was in front of her partner, Angie right behind her…
'Fire…Destruction…Fighting…'
The thoughts, the half-memories, flashed through everyone's minds…
"Birdramon!!!"
"Elie?"
"BIRDRAMON!!!"
The Crest of Love began to give its light…
"Birdramon, Digivolve to…GARUDAMON!!"
'There were two monsters…Fighting…I was there…Was I? I can't remember…'
Angie felt like she was in a daze…
'I recognized Greymon…Why? Had I met him before? I would know…'
"Tusk Crusher!"
Angie instinctively covered her youngest cousin as Garudamon shielded them, and it seemed everything was clicking into place for every turtle…
Two Digimon were fighting, and one was…
Garudamon struck out at Mammothmon, and everyone seemed to have the same revelation…
"GREYMON!!"
Garudamon lifted Mammothmon into the air, dropping him so he cracked the asphalt…
"Get him, Garudamon!"
"Wing Blade!"
With the Digimon destroyed, Angie looked up to see the Foot Ninja and their leader still on the rooftop's ledge…
Glaring, crimson eyes fiery, they locked eyes before he disappeared…
The police sirens came within hearing as Elie caught Yokomon out of thin air, and the turtles ran for the safety of a warehouse.
"I always knew we were chosen for a reason…" Gabriel muttered.
"Now I know. We all met that Koromon, and saw him Digivolve into Greymon and fight that other Digimon."
"We fergot 'bout it 'cause our parents said we were crazy…" Z recalled.
"Repressed memories." Lily concluded.
"That's how Ari knew Koromon! She met him that night!" Angie stated.
"Still, how are we going to find the eighth child?" Rose worried.
"Myotismon might have found them already!"
"I don't think so." Motimon replied.
"The Foot and Mammothmon wouldn't be causing such a ruckus if they'd already found the eighth Digidestined child. No, I think they're still out there."
"But who? Who else saw those Digimon?" Angie wondered.
"We'll fin' out…" Izzy assured.
"First, let's get 'ome…"
'Home…'
The jade-skinned turtle sighed…
'I can't wait to see mom and dad again…'
