Grit and Guts, Pt 4: Battle in the Dark
"…they heard the tramp of doom/ They fled their hall to dying fall/ Beneath his feet, beneath the moon" -The Hobbit, J.R.R. Tolkien
The floor vibrated, making the sofa tremble in the executive office. Eimi woke and sat up slowly, exchanging an uncertain look with Motimon.
Mayumon took hold of her vest with her teeth and pulled. Eimi stumbled into her partner, then leaned against her for support. Mayumon led her to the far side of the desk, and Eimi crawled behind it.
"It's just Andromon," Motimon said as he joined her, "but you and Mayumon are always careful, right?"
"Right." Eimi lowered her head to the floor and watched the doorway through the gap under the desk. Mayumon had taken a defensive position near the door.
A Guardromon moved through the portal, shaking the walls with its steps. Eimi began to chew on her lower lip, and she felt the mixture of anger and concentration coming from Mayumon.
"Chosen Child? Andromon sent me to these coordinates."
Eimi hesitated for a moment longer, then took hold of the desk's edge and hauled herself to her feet. "Why are you the only Guardromon who wasn't taken over by Machinedramon?" There was too much at stake for Eimi to indulge in her normal manners.
The Guardromon swayed on its feet, and the floor seemed to buckle. "My wifi card broke a few days before Machinedramon took over the city, so I couldn't access the network. It was bothersome at the time, but I'm grateful, now."
Eimi felt her eyes narrowing. "Wait. Are you saying that everyone was infected just by accessing a wifi source? I thought you had to download a virus for it to enter your system."
The Guardromon's head swiveled left and right in what might have been a head shake. "Machinedramon's a Dark Master. He knows his business. I've been trying to blend in with everyone for such a long time... I didn't dare escape or call attention to myself, not with Machinedramon around." A series of excited beeps and blips sounded, and Eimi was reminded of R2D2. She smiled despite herself.
"You humans like giving things names, right? Call me Rosie. That's my unit designation."
"Oh, uh." Eimi glanced at Mayumon for an opinion on Rosie's trustworthiness, and her partner nodded. She approached the Guardromon and stood awkwardly in front of her, unsure of how robots greeted one another. "I'm Eimi, and this is Gale and Motimon."
"I've never seen a Digimon like you before," Rosie said to Mayumon. "But I did see the other human, the creature who looks like you."
Eimi was of the opinion that she looked nothing like Koushiro, but then, she had difficulty differentiating between Digimon of the same species. And stars, what a chatty unit! But I suppose I'd be chatty too, if I hadn't been able to speak to anyone in a long time.
"Is he okay?" Motimon demanded. Rosie's pupils flickered, a motion that Eimi was beginning to associate with robotic Digimon processing or seeking information.
"He seemed healthy. At any rate, he had the same number of limbs as this human." A strange snorting sound popped out of Eimi. She wasn't sure whether to laugh or groan.
"Andromon told you that we want to save Koushiro, right? The human that Machinedramon captured."
"Yes. Fortunately, I am very familiar with the guard schedules and the layout of the facility. I should be able to deliver you to the Mekanorimon lab with no mishaps, but we will have to move as quickly and quietly as we can."
"Then let's go." Mayumon helped Eimi climb on to her back, and they followed Rosie down the hall.
A While Later
The trip to the lab was too baffling to be all that scary. The halls in Machinedramon's facility were entirely dark. Apparently, the Guardromon needed only their knowledge of the building's blueprints to navigate. It was very cold in some areas, and very hot in others. Although she couldn't see beyond the faint glow from Rosie's eyes, the base seemed to be a labyrinth of twists and turns, and the floor wasn't perfectly level. In fact, they seemed to be moving down into the earth in a slow, wide spiral.
On the whole, Eimi was excessively grateful that Rosie was with them. The Guardromon knew when patrols would pass, and where they could hide. And the building was so baffling to navigate that they might have starved before they found Koushiro, even with the tracking program. Actually, I probably would have given myself a concussion walking into walls. And the patrols would have noticed the glow of the laptop from a mile away.
After about twenty minutes of walking, Mayumon came to a halt behind Rosie. "This door leads to the labs," she said. Eimi couldn't see a door, but she waited in polite silence. "The lab will be illuminated, so that the Digimon can see the Mekanorimon. Wait here while I check the room."
There was a faint hiss, and a piece of the wall moved sideways. Light poured through the gap, and Eimi shielded her eyes. The illumination seemed to bleed through her palms, burning at her pupils.
Rosie returned a few moments later. "All clear," she said. "The Mekanorimon aren't Machinedramon's top priority at the moment, so no one is here."
Mayumon walked into the room, and Eimi smiled at her choppy mental grumbling about the brightness. Motimon buried his face down her tee shirt, and Eimi debated pulling him out, but this didn't seem the time to discuss the topic of human female anatomy and modesty, so she sighed and left him alone.
When her eyes adjusted, Eimi turned Motimon around and had a look at the lab. Her fingers gripped Mayumon's fleece when she saw rows of enormous robots strapped to concrete slabs with metal restraints. The Mekanorimon had huge, barrel-shaped bodies. Their arms were very long, and they trailed off the sides of the tables and onto the floor. Each one had shoulder plates that winged away from their bodies, and large power supplies strapped to their backs. They were topped with clear half-spheres of glass that covered their cockpits.
"Do they hurt them?" Eimi whispered. The question was a bit daft, given the sharp instruments and blow torches lining the walls. Rosie didn't answer.
Eimi's lower lip began to tremble. "I hate this," she said quietly. One of the Mekanorimon was leaking a dark fluid that looked like blood. It was probably oil or some kind of coolant, falling to the concrete floor and flowing towards a drain. Regardless, the visual connection was made, and Eimi swallowed hard, trying to force down the urge to throw up.
"Hurting them like this, just so he can use them..." Eimi sat Motimon behind her, then slid down Mayumon's side, ignoring her partner's concerned whine. She moved to the dripping Digimon's side and stared at the control panel on the platform.
"Which one of these buttons lifts the restraints?"
"Uh, the blue one." There was an odd hesitation to Rosie's tone. "But Mekanorimon can't move on their own. The restraints are there mainly to keep them from sliding off the tables."
"I know. But still..." The concept going through her mind was strange and half-formed, but Eimi fought to explain it. "There's a difference between not being physically able to move, and not being allowed to move."
No one commented as Eimi pressed the button. The restraints clicked, then separated. Eimi leaned over the Mekanorimon and forced a smile. "Hi." Speaking to someone who was in pain was always so difficult, and Eimi was nervous about sounding falsely cheerful or sheepish. "Um, my name is Eimi. I, uh, I don't suppose you could tell me how to patch up your leak?"
"I'm not sure that we have time for this," Rosie said. Eimi followed her glance to the lab entrance and frowned. She had a point, but Eimi couldn't seem to walk away from the Mekanorimon. Leaning closer, Eimi realized that the grill beneath the cockpit wasn't an exit for exhaust fumes, as she had assumed. There was wrinkled, red flesh beneath the metal, and a single eye opened and swiveled to her face.
"Well… I can patch him up." Rosie grabbed some ominous looking instruments from the wall and hurried over. Eimi tried not to react as the Guardromon bent over the Mekanorimon and got to work. It looked like grisly business, and she kept reminding herself that robotic bodies weren't human bodies, and that they might not even register pain.
But she didn't like the way that single eye squeezed shut. "I'm sorry," Eimi whispered, resting her palm on the Digimon's shoulder.
A few minutes passed, and Eimi cast about for something to say, hoping to engage the Mekanorimon. "So, uh. I don't know if you guys know about the Digidestined?" This had gone from strange to surreal, chatting up a prisoner on the chopping block. Giving a pitch for help to the Mekanorimon seemed in bad taste, but what else could Eimi do? "But, uh, they're trying to defeat the Dark Masters. But Machinedramon kidnapped a Chosen Child, and he's being held in this base. I... I know it's a lot to ask. And it will be very dangerous. But, I was hoping that... If I could hide inside a Mekanorimon, I could sneak inside Machinedramon's control room, and hopefully help my friend escape."
There was no reply, and Eimi sensed that Mekanorimon couldn't give one, even if it wanted to. She cleared her throat and forged ahead. "My friend Yama-kun defeated Puppetmon, and Taichi took down Metalseadramon. The Digiworld's getting better, and Spiral Mountain is half restored. I know it seems impossible, because Machinedramon is so powerful, but the Chosen Children can defeat him. But every member of the team is needed. I have to return Koushiro to the group."
Eimi hesitated, unsure of how to continue. It would have been better to bluntly ask if the Mekanorimon was willing to let her pilot it, but that single eye kept twitching as Rosie worked, and Eimi couldn't manage the words. Finally, the steady grinding sound from Rosie's tool stopped, and she stepped back from the platform. "I've patched him up, but he could use a long maintenance session."
Sighing, Eimi lifted her hand from the Mekanorimon's shoulder. "I'm sorry I couldn't do more for you." The eye fixed on her face, and Eimi froze, unsure of what to do, or even what to feel. A soft clinking sound had her glancing up, and she exclaimed when she saw the cockpit's glass cover sliding open.
"Well, don't just stand there!" Motimon exclaimed, rushing into her shin. "He wants to help! Get in, get in, let's go!"
"Are, are you really okay with this?" Eimi asked, leaning against the table for support. "It's really going to be dangerous."
The Mekanorimon didn't speak or move, and Eimi turned towards Rosie, her mouth hanging open. "Mekanorimon don't open the cockpit unless they mean it. Climb in, Chosen Child."
Eimi wanted to argue, but Mayumon sent her a sharp reminder that there wasn't time for that. With Rosie's help, Eimi climbed over Mekanorimon's power pack and slid into the cockpit. The Guardromon lowered Motimon in with her, and Mayumon shifted back to Kumomon, so that she could fit, too.
Rosie coached her through the basics of opening and closing the hatch and controlling the unit's movement. Eimi scooted as far down in the cockpit as she could, hoping to stay out of sight. "Can you see me, Rosie?"
"Negative. Mekanorimon is too tall. But Machinedramon is much larger; he'll be able to see you from above, if he gets close enough."
What a nice thought. Eimi's fingers slipped beneath her vest, touching the scabs and bruises that the Dark Master had given her yesterday.
"I'll lead you into the control room and tell anyone who asks that we got a Mekanorimon moving, and I'm delivering it to Machinedramon. Those are his standing orders, so no one should be suspicious. After we arrive, it's all up to you." There was doubt in Rosie's tone, robotic as it was, and Eimi shivered.
"But Koushiro knows how to remove the code, and how it's spread?" Eimi asked.
"According to Andromon, yes."
Eimi removed the jump drive containing Koushiro's virus programs from a pocket in her vest and squeezed it. "Then we'll be okay," she said, fighting to keep her voice level. "We'll be okay. Koushiro will think of something." She pushed her arms forward, dislodging both Motimon and Kumomon from their corners in the process. They settled awkwardly on her lap, smushed under her wrists, and Eimi took hold of the joystick on the dashboard.
It's a good thing I've played a lot of video games with Taichi, she thought as she tilted the stick forward. They left the lab and entered the dark hall, and she could just barely see Rosie in the light emitted by Mekanorimon's eyes. Eimi tried to focus on piloting, despite her growing anxiety. She stiffened whenever the clanging of feet announced a passing Guardromon, but none of them stopped or tried to speak to them.
They moved like that for some time, and the only warning Eimi had of their arrival at the control room was Rosie slowing to a stop. Her heart began to jump against her ribs, and Eimi was sure someone would notice the sound. It seemed like a war drum, vibrating her bones. She wanted to peek through the glass surrounding the cockpit and search for Koushiro, but that was idiotic. It was too dark to see past Mekanorimon's headlights.
"He's here," Motimon said, straining against the underside of her arm. "Right? Right?!"
Boy here, Kumomon agreed, and Eimi had to be satisfied with that. All she saw was darkness, and the vague impression of light coming from flat, rectangular surfaces in the distance. And was it her imagination, or did she two red pinpricks of illumination, as well?
"Guardromon. What are you doing here?"
The breath slid out of her lungs at the sound of Machinedramon's low, unnatural voice, speaking from a distance. The clamor of typing, patrolling feet, and clicking seemed to die out in an instant, and that voice went on and on in Eimi's head. She held both Digimon against her and fought for air.
Rosie hesitated, and Eimi began to sweat. "We have animated a Mekanorimon, and I am delivering it for your inspection, as per your standing orders."
"Really?" Machinedramon asked, sounding equally parts intrigued and doubtful. "Then come closer."
Yeeeeeeah, pass. Thinking fast, Eimi stripped the hair tie from her braid, doubled it over, and looped it around the joystick. She pulled on it, stretching the elastic until it reached the closest lever. The joystick lurched forward and stayed there, held in place by the taut band. The Mekanorimon kept walking straight ahead without her touch.
Eimi had no idea how close they were to Machinedramon, and to the nearest guards, but she hit the button that opened the cockpit and prepared to jump. Wait! Kumomon ordered, and Eimi froze. A few seconds passed, and her partner gave the order to move, so Eimi stuffed Motimon down her vest and lifted herself from the cockpit. The floor seemed a long way down, even when she hung from Mekanorimon's power supply, but her only choice was to let go.
She fell, and the landing jarred her to the bones. Every wound protested simultaneously, and she closed her throat as tears slid from the corners of her eyes. Her mind was a haze of pain, but she forced herself onto her hands and knees and followed Kumomon and Motimon at a crawl.
When her head cleared, Eimi found that the room was maze of individual desks stationed in rows that seemed to stretch on forever. Each row had about a yard of empty space behind it, and then the next row began. Three monitors sat on each desk, flanked by enormous computer towers on the left side. All kinds of Digimon were sitting in front of them, hunched over and bleary-eyed, plugging away at keyboards. Eimi blessed the darkness of the room, even as she puzzled over it. It was the only thing that saved her from notice as she crawled behind the chairs.
I only bought us a few seconds, Eimi reminded herself. As soon as the Mekanorimon walks right past Machinedramon, the jig is up. Shuddering, she grit her teeth and forced her body to move faster. She passed four more working Digimon before a roar rocked the whole room, nearly knocking her flat. The workers looked up at the front of the room, where Machindramon presided over the captives.
Well, if he's going to put on a show, I'll take advantage of it. Eimi rose to a low crouch, then grabbed Motimon and Kumomon. No one was going to look down with Machinedramon bellowing like that.
Five stations ahead, Kumomon said, and Eimi smiled. Machinedramon was screaming orders, and there was a horrible crunching sound, like a car being crushed into a cube. But Eimi was focused on the promise of Koushiro, and she forgot the burning in her calves and surged forward. Motimon jumped free from her arms, ran ahead, and attached himself to the leg of the next programmer. Eimi followed, nearly laughing when she saw the figure stooped over the keyboard.
"Ah," Koushiro said, not looking away from the screen. Still, Eimi could perceive his cheek lifting in a smile in the light from the monitor. "I figured you were behind the fuss."
"Koushiro!" Motimon cried, crawling up his leg. Eimi looked away when she saw the tears sliding down his face. She moved to Koushiro's other side and slid an arm around his stomach, beneath his arms, which were stretched out towards the keyboard.
"I'm very glad to see you all, too. But I'm rather busy trying to save us. Machinedramon doesn't sound like he's in a forgiving mood." Eimi rested her head against his chest and closed her eyes. "Are you alright, Eimi?" Koushiro patted Motimon's head, then hers, then returned to his work.
The walls of Eimi's throat caved in, making it difficult to breathe, let alone speak. She swallowed hard. "I am now."
"We'll talk later!" Motimon cried, jumping down from Koushiro's lap. "I need to Digivolve!"
"Try not to pulverize anyone," Koushiro replied. "They're all prisoners."
Taking the hint, Eimi seized Motimon and threw him towards the ceiling, hoping that he wouldn't knock it down when he morphed into Megakabuterimon. The room seemed massive, but who knew, with all of the darkness?
Jump drive! Kumomon cried, her tone harried and bossy. She was staring towards the source of the roaring, keeping tabs on Machinedramon while Eimi went weepy over Koushiro.
Enough of this- the war is on. "Right! Thanks, Gale! Can you digivolve and put up some shields?" Her partner obeyed, and Eimi leaned over Koushiro and placed the jump drive by his keyboard. "I copied your virus programs onto here, so that you could get to them fast." She had to shout into his ear, as the room had broken into complete pandemonium. The programmers were standing at their stations, shouting and climbing onto their desks for a better look at the front of the room. Megakabuterimon's bulk blocked Machinedramon's control station from view, but Eimi could hear the battle starting. A round of missiles from patrolling Guardromon shook the walls and illuminated the room in rapid bursts.
Koushiro turned away from the monitors and stared up at her, his mouth agape. "Eimi- You- You're- Prodigious! This is exactly what I need!"
"Do it!" Eimi cried, taking hold of his shoulders. Granted, she wasn't entirely sure what he had in mind, but she knew it would work, if he could do it fast enough.
There was a horrible crunching sound, followed by frightened screams. Eimi turned to her right and saw Andromon lying across the remains of a shattered work station, split in two on top of an unlucky Terriormon. The monitors went flying towards them, and Eimi caught one before it could strike Koushiro. The Gazimon at the next station was shouting something about protecting the Chosen Children. That was nice, but Eimi really wished he would stop calling attention to them. She tried to catch his attention and signal for him to be quiet, but he wasn't facing her.
Gazimon jumped onto Andromon's chest, then launched himself forward. The glow of three sets of eyes announced the presence of Guardromon in the dark, and Gazimon took them on, heedless of their difference in strength. A few other captive Digimon joined in, but none of them were strong enough to take on Machinedramon and his forces.
"What are they doing?" Eimi asked, horrified. A Guardromon unleashed a round of missiles on the crowd, and the Gazimon who had led the charge dissolved into a cloud of data that was quickly lost in the dark. "Koushiro- They're getting killed! Why aren't they running?"
Koushiro's was scowling at his monitors. "This city is their home, Eimi. These Digimon have been imprisoned here for years, kept in cages, away from the light. From what I can tell, the robots don't mind the dark, but it slowly breaks the spirit of the captives."
Bright flashes from explosions and artillery rounds filled the room, and Eimi could see the silhouettes of Digimon fighting and falling in sporadic bursts. "This isn't right," Eimi whispered. "Koushiro- he enslaved a whole city. He enslaved you."
"Your first point is concerning," Koushiro allowed. Eimi could feel his muscles tensing beneath her hands, but, despite the battle raging around them, he never stopped typing. "As for the second, well, I knew you'd bring the means for my escape."
"Oh! Well-!" Eimi looked away as a stray missile hit Mayumon's shield. This really wasn't the time to feel flattered, and she tried to write off his praise. "I did promise to stay with you, so..."
"Easier said than done, in this case. But, more pertinently, I've finished personalizing an old virus removing program, and I already found the route through Machinedramon's network security. I only need a minute or two to cleanse the mechanical Digimon from his control code, and to prevent further broadcasts."
"I see… So that's what you're up to."
Illumination blinded Eimi, and she squealed and stepped into Koushiro's chair. Machinedramon was looming over them, shooting red high beams from his eyes. Eimi angled her body between his and Koushiro's, then stared, transfixed, at the nightmare before her.
"I underestimated you, boy child. You are too dangerous by far to allow into my stronghold. But no matter; I do not make the same mistakes twice."
Steel jaws opened with a mechanical creaking, and heat rolled out in pounding waves, making the air shimmer. It was like standing in a torrential downpour, with pulses of hot air rolling past, one after the other. Machinedramon's maw widened and lowered, and sweat beaded Eimi's skin.
Mayumon trumpeted a challenge, but Machinedramon ripped through her shields as a child tears away wrapping paper, then sent her flying with a lazy kick. Eimi tore her eyes away from the pipe in the back of Machinedramon's throat, which probably produced his fire breath, and watched Kumomon fly into the shadows.
And suddenly, Eimi didn't feel quite like Eimi anymore. Her limbs shook, her core trembled, as they had ever since Machinedramon appeared from the darkness. But what was fear was now something altogether different. "Enough!" In a fit of furious insanity, Eimi lifted her palms and smacked Machinedramon's chin. The metal was searing hot, but she didn't feel it immediately. Rage and desperation consumed her, and her physical body seemed a distant thing.
"How dare you?!" she screeched. "This world does not belong to you! This city does not belong to you! Because you are strong, you think you can take what you want and mow down whatever gets in your way. And maybe you'll mow me down, too. I'm not even sure if I am a Chosen Child! But I am here, and I didn't need this necklace to sneak right into your control room, did I?"
Eimi ripped the crest out from under her vest, unaware of the heat that had soaked into her skin. Her fingers encircled the tag, her thumb running over the slightly raised impression of a shield. Machinedramon was speaking, and his voice rumbled around her head. The danger finally registered, and Eimi's knees went out. She fell back against Koushiro, and he nudged her off, still intent on his work. Her rear hit the ground, and she stared at the enormous feet in front of her. She felt the blaze in her palms, and she bent over her hands, whimpering and choking, half fearing that the flesh would melt off before her eyes.
"Pathetic girl child. Your futile efforts, your empty words… What do they matter? I'm going to shred you like scrap right now."
Eimi was shaking so violently that she couldn't support herself, and she sprawled out, helpless, on the floor. "It matters!" she managed at last, ripping her gaze from her palms. Her voice was a hollow gasp, and she felt like a fish working its mouth on land, but somehow, she forged on. "It matters because I tried to do the right thing. I don't really know what to think about all of this prophecy and destiny stuff, but, no matter what, I will always try to do the right thing. And, if enough people do that, then... No matter how little strength they have, and how much you have, eventually..."
"Eventually, truth and justice will prevail? Not a very strong argument from where I'm standing. If I had expected anything from you, then I would be sorely disappointed." And, with a gruesome click, his jaws snapped into their widest position.
Koushiro was shouting for his partner, but Megakabuterimon must have been overrun with Guardromon. Eimi heard Andromon bellowing, and saw him approaching. Explosions back lit his form like grisly fireworks, and he was nearer to them with each burst, but a round of screaming missiles knocked him aside before he reached them.
Eimi did the only sensible thing. Her fingers felt rubbery and slimy, but she forced them to seize a fallen monitor from the ground, choosing one that was still plugged in. She ducked away from Machindramon's jaws and shoved it into his mouth. His teeth sundered it with a crunch that released a burst of electricity. Machinedramon bellowed and shook his head, trying to dislodge the broken, short-circuiting husk.
And then she ran, vaulting over the next row of desks. Her sense returned as she put distance between herself and Machinedramon, and, although she lost the courage that allowed her to deliver a tirade to the Dark Master, she gained the calm and sense to make a plan. All that mattered right now was distracting Machinedramon from Koushiro and his work, and she cast about for a taunt worthy of Taichi. "How'd you like that? You're nothing but a big theme park prop! When we shut you down, we'll make you the bonus hole at a miniature golf course!"
Machinedramon's answering roar was enough to deafen her, and she stumbled as a desk vibrated against her. Her body pitched forward in the dark, and her head hit something. A ringing filled her mind, and her vision blurred. But Machinedramon was advancing on her, that much was unmistakable. "Hah," she whispered. The Dark Master had turned his back on Koushiro, and that would be his undoing.
Something bright orange was forming in the direction of Machinedramon's head. Eimi was too dazed to identify it as fire. The air cracked and heated all around her, and it was impossibly hot and bright. The illumination moved closer, and she understood just before the flames swallowed her. There wasn't even time to scream.
And yet, she was screaming, regardless. How am I screaming? she wondered, but her faculties were still sluggish from the head blow to provide an answer. The flames seemed to be hitting an invisible barrier about a yard away from her, then fanning away. Eimi stared, dumbfounded, too shocked to scramble away.
The stream died out, and arms grabbed her, hauling her into the darkness. Girl safe? Cool hands passed over her forehead, and Eimi leaned into the touch. She could almost have mistaken the hands for her mother's, but the skin was tighter, plumper, younger.
"Gale," she sighed, resting her head on a shoulder. "Where's Koushiro?"
Arms wrapped around her, and she snuggled into them. Under shield. At computer. Almost done!
Her mind was beginning to clear, and she shook her head and focused back in. Koushiro suddenly jumped away from his system, and Machinedramon let loose another terrible roar. The Dark Master turned to Koushiro and charged, and Eimi screamed again, louder than before.
A crowd of Guardromon surged in their direction, getting in between Koushiro and Machinedramon. MegaKabuterimon's hulking silhouette appeared in the volley of explosions from the Guardromon, and his pairs of arms closed around Koushiro's body and lifted.
"Gale!" Eimi shouted. "He did it! Look, the Guardromon are on our side!"
Her partner made no comment, and Eimi fell silent, grimacing, when the Dark Master exploded three Guardromon into clouds of data with a single swipe. Although Machinedramon's captives were on their side now, it was clear that they still couldn't win a head on confrontation.
Megakabuterimon advanced on them, crushing desks and computers beneath his feet as if they were no more substantial than fallen leaves. "There you are, Ningyomon. We need to escape now, while we still can!"
"Ningyomon?!" Eimi repeated. She shifted in her partner's arms, and found herself staring up at an angular, humanoid face. Her hands closed around her partner's cheeks, then fell away at the pain of the contact. "Ningyomon! But- But I- How?!"
"There's no time for this!" Andromon's voice floated out of the darkness, and she felt him seize Ningyomon's arm and pull. "Move, move!"
Ningyomon floated onto Megakabuterimon's back, then grabbed hold of Koushiro as his partner passed him up. Eimi wrapped her arms around his back, taking hold of his waist, trying to secure herself against him without touching anything with her palms. Andromon leaped beside her, then turned towards the ceiling.
"The Guardromon can only hold Machinedramon off for a few minutes. We need to use that time to destroy some walls and ceilings and get out. I know the structural weak spots in the building, so Megakabuterimon and I will attack them. Ningyomon, you shield us from falling debris."
Eimi knew that Ningyomon's shields were more effective than any protection she could give, but she automatically pushed Koushiro's head down and bent her upper body over his, ignoring his squirming. She closed her eyes and held on to him, shutting out the crashes, the roaring, the explosions, and the constant rain of rubble from overhead as they broke down the building. "How many Guardromon are going to die trying to get us out of here?" she whispered, not realizing that she was speaking out loud.
"At least they'll die free from Machinedramon's control, and for a cause they believe in. It may not seem very comforting, Chosen Child, but it means a great deal to us. Our city will be forever grateful to the two of you, no matter what the end of this battle brings." Eimi looked up from Koushiro's shoulder in time to see Andromon saluting the two of them. He stood back, and Megakabuterimon rammed into the ceiling in the spot Andromon indicated. Eimi squealed when the ceiling caved in, and daylight flooded the dark hall.
Megakabuterimon jumped through the opening, and then they were outside. Eimi rubbed at her eyes, then gasped when she saw the crowd of robotic Digimon in the streets, all moving towards the fight. She pointed down, but Koushiro ignored her gesturing. His hand closed around the strap of his backpack, which hung across her shoulder.
"We need to regroup with the others. We're vulnerable on our own."
"Oh, right!" Eimi shrugged the backpack off, and Koushiro removed his laptop. "The others are in the sewer. It might be best to go there." As reluctant as she was to have another adventure in a sewer system, anything was better than hanging around in the open, where Machinedramon could easily find them.
"I will remain with you until you find your friends," Andromon said. Eimi turned towards him, squinting in the daylight.
"Thank you. Thanks for everything, Andromon. I'm really, really sorry about…" She broke off and glanced back down at the Guardromon storming Machinedramon's base.
"That is Machinedramon's fault," he said gently. "Not yours." Eimi nodded, unsure of what to say to that.
Koushiro turned his attention to navigating Megakabuterimon towards Taichi and the others, and Eimi leaned back against Ningyomon. "I don't understand how you digivolved."
Koushiro snorted and glanced up from the laptop. "Is this some sort of attempt at humor? You were injured in an attempt to rescue me. Then, you infiltrated a city controlled by a Dark Master, where you risked your life to buy me the time I needed to free the Digimon from his virus. You don't seem to understand what you did for these Digimon today, Eimi, but luckily, your crest recognizes the value of your actions."
Eimi plopped her chin down on top of his head. She was pleased by the praise, but not entirely convinced that she deserved it. "I just brought Motimon to you. You, Andromon, Ningyomon, and Megakabuterimon did the rest."
"It would be best to avoid lying like that," Koushiro sighed beneath her. "You'll deactivate your crest again. And I, for one, would rather avoid playing a role in the quest to turn it back on again, if it's all the same to you."
The corners of Eimi's mouth twitched, and she nuzzled into him. "I'm so glad you're safe."
"And we're all together again, thanks to Eimi," Megakabuterimon added. Eimi colored and pointed to Koushiro's monitor.
"Let's go find Taichi," she said, her fingertip hovering by the orange dot. "I've had more than enough of being in charge." Koushiro grinned and returned his attention to directing his partner. Suddenly exhausted, Eimi leaned back into Ningyomon and closed her eyes, hoping to rest a bit before whatever hit them next.
Author's Note: Because, you know, something always happens next in the Digiworld, for reals.
Well my friends, only one chapter remains in the 01 arc (unless it runs into two parts, but I will make sure it doesn't go beyond two). I hope everyone is excited to see what happens as Koushiro and Eimi get a little older!
I already have about 4K written about the battle with Piedmon, but a lot of it is word vomit that needs to be cut down, lol. So we'll see!
I think I will be updating Seeking Resonance next? But I guess it's a toss up between that and this story again.
Oh, and my two year anniversary of writing fanfiction is coming up at the end of September! I am hoping to do a giveaway, where I write scenes and draw pictures for the winners, so please keep an eye on my tumblr and author's notes!
Thanks for reading!