Chapter 49: Bullets and Blades
~Junpei POV~
I got a surprise after I landed and de-evolved. From out of nowhere Ally tackled me and started squeezing!
At first I thought she was just being her usual self and teasing me so I tried to pull her loose. "Quit it, Ally! You're gonna snap me in half!"
"That's cuz I missed you, you big idiot!" she barked and her grip tightened.
For a second I thought she might be crying. But no, Ally didn't cry. It was impossible.
I started hugging her back awkwardly but she jumped away as if an electric current had gone through her. "Oh, Junpei!" she cried. "So much crazy stuff happened! I've gotta tell you about it all!"
Her eyes were bright but dry. Of course she wasn't crying, what had I been thinking? "A lot happened to all of us, I think. Have you seen anyone else?"
"No, just you. Why? Is something wro-"
Suddenly a massive explosion ripped apart the tranquility. The ground fractured in an instant and coated the two of us with sand and grit. At first I wasn't sure what was going on; the sand had gotten in my eyes and my ears were ringing. But I could feel Ally clinging to my arm with all her strength. Clearly we were in the middle of something going horribly wrong.
I sensed the dust and smoke clearing, slowly being blown aside by the gentle ocean breezes, to reveal an enormous monster. My heart stopped for an instant - was the Destruction Dragon back to finish me and Ally off?! Had I led him right to her?!
But I quickly realized that this creature wasn't the same one as before. It was as big as the shadowy dragon but it was completely solid and standing normally on the ground. Through the dust I could see orange scales and glowing red eyes; the face was covered in armor and from its back arched three long cannons. All three barrels were trained on us.
And on top of the beast's head stood a familiar figure. One we had encountered just days ago.
"Avast ye scurvy dogs!" it raged. "Finally, I shall have my revenge! Prepare to walk the plank!"
"Oh, crapballs!" Ally squeaked. "It's Hookmon!"
"And he brought along a VERY big friend!" I added.
"Cannondramon!" Hookmon swung his gun around and pointed it at us. "Ready! Aim!"
"RUN!" I bellowed. I grabbed Ally's hand, prepared to drag her away if necessary, but she was running along with me.
I was already planning my next move: as soon as the attack was over I'd Spirit Evolve and start the counterattack. We just had to avoid being hit long enough for me to do that. Hopefully that wasn't asking too much.
But instead of the blasts landing behind us, there were eruptions of flame and sand in front of us, blocking the way. My thoughts of Spirit Evolving on the run were blown up along with the courtyard as darts of molten glass sliced up my arms. Over the booms of the explosions I heard Ally coughing at my elbow and Cannondramon's snarls.
"You can't escape!" Hookmon shouted.
"I… think he's… right," Ally coughed to me. "Junpei, we've got to stand our ground. Let's evolve!"
I agreed completely. "Right! SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Beetlemon!"
"SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Dramon!"
Together Ally and I charged at Hookmon and Cannondramon, instinctively aiming for the fleshy parts of the larger Digimon. Not that it mattered to me - my electricity would do just as much damage to circuitry as to flesh. And I still owed Hookmon for kidnapping Ally before. If only I had my beast spirit; a blast in that form would be just what he deserved!
"Get ready to feel the thunder!" I roared. "Golden Thunder!"
"Captain's Cannon!" Hookmon aimed his musket at me and I saw the flash and burst of smoke from the muzzle as it fired.
Suddenly Dramon zipped past me and took to the air to intercept the attack. "Spirit Claw!"
Her claws met the bullet and it dissolved in a shower of data strips, leaving behind only the rushing air of its passage. As Dramon darted aside, my way was clear to counterattack. I slammed my fist into Cannondramon's lower jaw, throwing Hookmon loose and driving the enormous android Digimon back a step.
"Yeah!" I cheered. "Take that!"
~Your POV~
After helping Junpei get a shot in you pursued Hookmon who had fallen to the ground. The Thunder Warrior could handle the huge, nearly immobile Cannondramon who didn't seem to be able to launch his attacks quickly. The smaller, more limber Hookmon needed your special touch.
"Spirit Flame!" Your golden flames swept down towards him hungrily, spreading out to surround him.
But Hookmon wasn't just going to lie there and let you blast him. He dodged - barely - and leveled his musket at you. "Captain's Cannon!"
You dove abruptly to dodge and landed in a crouch on the ground before leaping at him in a renewed attack. But as your claws swung around at him he lifted his hooked hand to intercept your strike. Sparks flew as the metal connected.
"Hookmon!" you growled. "I should've known you'd be pirating on the sea as well as land! Why don't you just give up before I thrash you again?!"
Hookmon swung his musket like a bludgeon to get some distance from you. "Arr! Shut yer yap, woman! Ye an' yer blue bodyguard don't stand a chance against Cannondramon!"
"Dynamo Cannon!"
Cannondramon's blast missed Beetlemon and passed just over you and Hookmon. It hit the south corner of the courtyard and carved out a hole big enough for your house to fit into! And as trees toppled and the scorched earth sizzled and smoked from the heat, you heard the mechanical whine of Cannondramon's guns as they gathered energy for the next shot.
"See?!" Hookmon bellowed. "By the time he finishes with ye there won't even be enough left to throw to the sharks! And it doesn't matter if I'm around or not; he's got his orders and won't stop until he bombards ye into dust!"
But while he was bragging you quickly hatched a plan. "Then we'll just have to beat you both! Spirit Claw!"
Your claws struck his gun and passed through the solid metal as if it was nothing more than vapor. And as it dissolved, leaving Hookmon disarmed and empty-handed, you moved closer threateningly. But even if Hookmon was a jerk, he wasn't an idiot; he dodged swipes from your claws rather than trying to block and he feinted strikes at your face so you couldn't aim your flames.
"Give up and leave now!" he commanded as the tip of his hook grazed your nose. "Otherwise the two of ye are headed straight to Davie Jones' locker!"
"After you!" You jumped back, taking Hookmon by surprise. "Junpei!"
While the two of you had been grappling, Beetlemon had gotten Cannondramon turned around to face away from you - ergo, his guns were pointed away as well. With your constant presence attacking him, Hookmon hadn't noticed as his ultimate weapon was temporarily disabled, changing the fight to two-on-one. Divide and conquer, baby!
"Thor Hammer!" With a crunch and a blast like a cannon, Beetlemon's thunder-charged fists struck Hookmon directly on the top of the head.
"Aaaarrrrrrrgghhhhh!"
"You should already know this," Beetlemon said as Hookmon's fractal code appeared. "Dead men tell no tales!"
You were keeping a wary eye on Cannondramon as Beetlemon scanned the data into his D-Tector. "And they also don't shoot at us while we deal with this mutha," you added. "Head's up, he's turning around."
The movements were ponderously slow but clearly Cannondramon had figured out where you two were and he was bringing his considerable firepower to bear. His red eye remained fixed on you as he maneuvered his armored limbs.
"This one's tough," Beetlemon explained to you. "I don't know if he even felt my lightning attacks!"
"Then let's try attacking together!" you said. "ELEMENTAL SHIFT - Beetledramon!"
"Just watch out for those cannon blasts," Beetlemon said as your iridescent wings hummed to life.
"Understatement of the century." It wasn't like you'd forgotten that huge hole where the south corner had been.
"Grenade Storm!" Unexpectedly the air was filled with orbs of energy, fired with the rapidity of a machine gun. They formed a wall in the air, one you couldn't hope to dodge around in your heavy Thunder form. So you'd just have to go through it!
It seemed like Junpei had had the same idea because he stayed right by your side as you charged. "Lightning Topper!"
Together you burst through the barrage of energy bullets, setting up to attack Cannondramon directly. Beetlemon's solo attacks might've been too weak but the monster was sure to feel the impact with the two of you combined.
"LIGHTNING TOPPER!"
You and Beetlemon dug your horns into the base of Cannondramon's neck just above his chest armor. Thunder crashed and lightning flashed as Cannondramon reared back with a roar of pain. The two of you had done it!
Or not. You barely had time to stroke your ego before you noticed that in the process of rearing back, Cannondramon had brought the large-caliber gun on his chest to bear on you both. As you stared into its mouth, brilliantly glowing energy began to gather.
"Dynamo Cannon!" The energy beam engulfed you and Beetlemon, searing like acid against the parts of your body not protected by blue armor. It threw the both of you backwards and together you knocked out another huge chunk of the perimeter wall upon landing.
For a moment all you could do was lay there stunned under the rubble. It seemed like everything was still where it belonged but you were aching in places that you never knew existed. All from a single hit from the smallest gun.
Suddenly an enormous shadow loomed over you and your blood froze with terror. At this range Cannondramon couldn't possibly miss with his main cannons. Or maybe he'd save himself the effort of firing and just stomp you flat. You braced yourself for pain either way.
But then the shadow spoke in Wyvernmon's voice. "Back on your feet, Ally. We're not beaten just yet."
~Junpei POV~
I came to partly buried under the wall that I'd just involuntarily passed through. I pushed my way out, but it was harder than I expected. Not because the wall was heavy or anything, but it felt like my brain had gotten scrambled from the impact. I could also feel my energy flagging and as soon as I freed myself I de-digivolved from exhaustion.
But I couldn't just sit still - Ally had been caught in that blast too! No doubt she was buried like I'd been, and maybe hurt or even unconscious. And if she had de-digivolved while still under all those heavy rocks…
"Hey, Ally! Ally!" I scrambled out from under the remains of my pile and over to another hump of brick and mortar, presumably where Ally had landed. "Where are you?! Say something!"
Suddenly there was a burst of debris and Dramon's leg emerged from under the pile. I fell back and then the rest of Dramon appeared, sitting up in a daze.
"Ugh," she said. "I feel like I was hit by a bus." Then light and data surrounded her and Ally was left behind.
"We gotta do something!" I said. The smoke was hiding us from Cannondramon but he'd surely fire on us again. "I don't think that a Human Spirit can handle him. What we really need is a Beast Spirit!"
""OH!" Ally gasped. "I have one of those! I'm on it!"
I was baffled. "You what?!"
But Ally wasn't paying attention to me anymore. She pulled herself up onto her feet and brought her D-Tector out from her pocket with a fierce expression on her face. "Keep your head down," she muttered to me. "I'm still new at this.
"BEAST SPIRIT EVOLUTION! Wyvernmon!"
My first impression of Ally's Beast Spirit was of her size. She dwarfed even Cannondramon's bulk, her wings stretched wide to cover most of the sky overhead. Like Dramon she had green reptilian skin and was covered in golden armor. Her wings were like fans of sword blades and her legs were tipped with enormous hooked claws. On her head were two long horns curving backwards and a stubby spiral horn in the center of her forehead.
She arched her long armored neck to stare down menacingly at Cannondramon. "This is your only chance! Surrender now or be destroyed!"
That enormous form and those words… I had a flashback to the shadowy Destruction Dragon looming over us and saying nearly the same thing. A chill ran up my spine.
In response Cannondramon roared furiously and altered his aim. "Dynamo Cannon!"
The powerful bolts flew forth and struck Wyvernmon in the chest, enveloping her in smoke and sparks. She grunted and I briefly worried that she'd fall out of the sky. But when the smoke cleared I saw that she was unhurt and that the shots hadn't budged her an inch.
"Fine!" she snarled. "If that's how you want it!"
By now I'd retreated some distance away to take what cover I could under the palm trees still standing. I was still covered by the shadow of Wyvernmon's wings. But those shadows faded as the edges of her wing blades and claws began to glow.
Wyvernmon howled and the glow of her wings became blinding. "Spirit Blade!"
The light arced down to the ground like a bolt of lightning, swallowing up Cannondramon and most of the courtyard. Then, just as quickly, the light vanished and I saw its result. The courtyard and Cannondramon were both gone - in their place was a humming crater of exposed data that was quickly coming undone.
I jumped as someone screamed beside me. "Ahhh! Look at what you've done to our resort!"
It was two Toucanmon who'd also taken refuge away from the fight. "It's gone!" one wailed. "It's all gone!"
"Don't get your tail feathers ruffled!" Wyvernmon grumbled. "I was going to fix that next!"
She opened her mouth and red-gold fire collected. "Spirit Inferno!"
The fire poured out of her jaws, spreading out into the data as it broke loose from the ground. The fire became like a net, gathering the loosened data together and drawing it into a cloudlike stream around the horn in her forehead. Then she bent down and with a feather-light touch brushed the edge of the hole with the tip of her horn.
The shimmering flames spread out like a wave to cover the hole and then solidified, returning the courtyard to its pristine state before the fighting had started. Even the trees were back as if nothing had happened.
Then as I watched, a patch of data gathered into an egg, which hovered just above the ground before flying away.
