Chapter 37—Mark's ordeal—
From there, I waited for my Digimon to awaken. Soon enough, they all woke up and when they all gathered in front of me, I said: "Alright, let's go everyone—our next mission awaits!" and they cheered before we left the Digihome.
When we were back in the base, we went back to the room the Digimon had been in before—thankfully they were still there and I saw Ariel was too! I then approached them and when they saw me, Herbert nodded and said: "Alright, it looks like Mark's here. Now we can start." and then he went on: "We've come up with our plan for the next mission. Simply put, in order to defend our base, we want Ariel to stay behind and guard the base while Mark infiltrates the enemy HQ and captures it."
I noticed Mastemon and Sakuyamon exchange glances out of the corner of my eye before Ariel said: "Understood. Leave it to me." And I said: "Alright then! I'll go on in there, take them down and let you remote in so you can cut off their access to their own HQ!" and Sabrina nodded before she said: "Exactly. From there, it will simply be a matter of figuring out how we're going to take the lab after that…" and then she went on: "But that's a concern for another day. For now, we'll stay focused on the mission at hand." and then she turned to me and said: "Give it your all, Mark—we're depending on you."
And I nodded before Lewis turned to Sabrina and said: "Well then Irene, would you mind giving him the coordinates to their HQ? I'd do it, but I'm too short to reach the computer on my own." "Not at all." Sabrina said before she went up to a computer and started typing on it… and I felt my digivice vibrate! I took it out and saw I had gotten a message from Sabrina—it had a link and some coordinates. I then nodded before I said: "Got 'em! Alright, I'll be back!"
And then we left the room. I walked ahead before I heard Mastemon say: "So now that they've gotten desperate, they think the answer is to send Mark into a different stronghold alone… I must say, I'm surprised at how rash they've become." I then turned to Mastemon before I said: "That might be a little harsh, Mastemon… it was all they could do with things as they stand now, after all." "I do not agree… they could have at least sent you with Ariel…" Dianamon said before BanchoLeomon shook his head and said: "Exactly right… I mean, how secure is this base anyway, with only one guard?" "Well it's unprotected otherwise. Besides, there's no way to make the situation ideal anymore… there's no turning back now…" I said. And then I went on: "I'd better restock my supplies from the vending machines. Then we'll be off." and everyone nodded before I went and restocked my digivice's items pretty full… and then I made my move… I copied the coordinates before I clicked the link and pasted them in. And then we felt ourselves getting teleported away! We then reappeared inside of a building that looked like a large one… it had elevators, stairs, windows and a high ceiling… unfortunately, there were staff members here, so we were spotted immediately…
From there, we had to fight our way through many staff members… I had to use up all of my items just to reach the heart of the building, but… at least the staff members had stopped coming. It looked like I only had Damien and Infermon to defeat now… I then went into a room where I saw Damien and a Digimon… but it wasn't Infermon… it was a very tall Digimon that had 2 legs and 2 arms, but it hunched forward and walked on its hands, making it look quadrupedal… it had greenish-tan skin and a blue shell around its torso (which was partially open on the sides) and massive blue-colored shoulder pads. It had a blue helmet on its head that covered everything except its mouth and eyes, with horns sticking out of the helmet horizontally. It had dirty blonde-colored hair and 4 maroon spikes on its back. Its hands and feet were also colored blue and its feet had 3 maroon toenails and its hands had 5 maroon claws. It looked 10'3 tall. This Digimon… had Infermon digivolved again?!
I then saw Damien and the Digimon turn to me and Damien laughed as he said: "So you've made it to me once again, boy! And this time, you managed to do it and take down all of my staff on your own! Bravo! You really are more talented than I thought." and then he went on: "But it's a pity there's no one here to help you this time… I guess we'll see what your individual abilities are worth soon enough." and then he turned to the Digimon and said: "Diaboromon! Show him your power!" and the Digimon nodded before it approached us. "Diaboromon… Infermon digivolved again?" I asked before Damien said: "Correct! He may have lost to you the last 2 times, but not today! He is unbeatable now!" I then turned to Mastemon and said: "Mastemon, go on! Show him who's boss!" and she flew in.
And then I felt my digivice vibrate and I checked it. It said: "Diaboromon scan data: ERROR." It did say Diaboromon was a darkness elemental, though. Damien then said: "Diaboromon, use predator's instinct!" and Diaboromon said: "Predator's instinct!" and he cast that spell on himself that increased his damage output with physical and magical attacks. "Mastemon, use chaos degradation!" I said and Mastemon said: "Chaos degradation!" and in one of her hands a baby blue-colored light emerged, and in her other hand a pink light emerged. Mastemon then brought them together and the result was not a purple-like light, but instead a small swirling ball that looked more like a tiny black hole… Mastemon then sent it at Diaboromon and when it made contact with him, it swirled into a giant black hole that hurt him before it disappeared—it looked like it worked well too!
"Diaboromon, attack Mastemon! Piston punches!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Piston punches!" and he hit Mastemon with a strike of his palm before he did it again—Mastemon already looked hurt, too! "Mastemon, hit him back! Almighty sun!" I said. Mastemon then said: "Almighty sun!" and she sent a yellow line up into the air… before it suddenly turned into a giant, yellow-orange sun! The sun then came down on Diaboromon as he started to tremble from the heat before the sun flashed and it disappeared.
"Diaboromon, use thirst of the beast!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Thirst of the beast!" and he cast a spell on himself, but… I couldn't tell what it did… "Mastemon, hit him with almighty sun!" I said before Mastemon said: "Almighty sun!" and she once again sent a yellow line up into the air that turned into a sun before it came down on Diaboromon and it stayed in place for a bit before it flashed and disappeared.
"Diaboromon, use piston punches!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Piston punches!" and he hit Mastemon with 2 palm strikes… but then she collapsed! But that wasn't even the worst of it… Diaboromon also looked like he felt better after he attacked… "What the…?!" I said before Damien laughed and said: "That was easy enough. Who's next?" I called Mastemon back before I paused and said: "Hudiemon, go get 'em!" and she flew in, even though she looked nervous…
"Diaboromon, get rid of her! Use tigerclaw!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he ran up to Hudiemon and swiped at her with his claws… and it worked really well, too! "Ouuuch!" Hudiemon said as she fell down… but she still got up… "Hudiemon, use infinity dream!" I said before Hudiemon said: "Infinity dream!" and she scattered aquamarine-colored dust from her wings at Diaboromon and he looked sickened… he was poisoned! At least he can't keep his health up as easily now!
"Diaboromon, use predator's instinct!" Damien said again before Diaboromon said: "Predator's instinct!" and he strengthened his damage output again. "Hudiemon, use force of nature!" I said before she said: "Force of nature!" and a giant pillar of green light suddenly emerged where Diaboromon was and it flashed as it expanded outward and exploded! It didn't look like it did much, but… at least Diaboromon recoiled from poison damage.
"Diaboromon, boost again! Use predator's instinct!" Damien said before Diaboromon did so. "Hudiemon, use force of nature again!" I said before she said: "Force of nature!" and attacked with another exploding pillar of green light. "Now Diaboromon, crush her! Use tigerclaw!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he swiped at Hudiemon with his claws… and she collapsed too!
I then called her back before I said: "Go for it, BanchoLeomon!" and he ran in. I then went on: "Hit him hard! Flashy boss punch!" and BanchoLeomon said: "Flashy boss punch!" and a half-circle of light formed in front of him before he ran through it and slugged Diaboromon with a powerful punch, which he took hard! "Diaboromon, use thirst of the beast!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Thirst of the beast!" and he cast that spell on himself again…
"BanchoLeomon, attack! Flashy boss punch!" I said before BanchoLeomon said: "Flashy boss punch!" and he ran through another half-circle of light before he slugged Diaboromon with a punch—And Diaboromon was looking weak now! "Diaboromon, get him back! Use tornado!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Tornado!" and he conjured a tall tornado where BanchoLeomon was! He was tossed up high in the air before he came back down… and he couldn't get back up! Diaboromon looked like he felt a lot better too… for him to come back from defeat so quickly… thirst of the beast must let him get health back from attacking, and his attacks after using it were always so powerful too…
Damien then smirked before he said: "Is that all you can do, boy? You'll never defeat me like that!" and I didn't say anything as I called BanchoLeomon back and said: "Gryphonmon, go on!" and he ran in. I then continued: "Gryphonmon, use supersonic voice!" and Gryphonmon said: "Supersonic voice!" and he screeched out a powerful soundwave at Diaboromon! It hit him hard before Damien said: "Diaboromon, use predator's instinct!" and Diaboromon said: "Predator's instinct!" and he did so.
"Gryphonmon, use supersonic voice again!" I said and Gryphonmon said: "Supersonic voice!" and he screeched at Diaboromon before Damien said: "Diaboromon, attack Gryphonmon! Use napalm dunk!" and Diaboromon said: "Napalm dunk!" and he hit him with a swipe of his arm (like an uppercut), knocking him into the air! Then a red substance appeared in his other hand as he leapt up into the air after Gryphonmon… and he swung his hand around, causing the substance to multiply around him rapidly! He then grabbed Gryphonmon and slammed him onto the ground before he ran off and it rained napalm on him… it looked like it worked amazingly well, too…
"Gryphonmon, use supersonic voice again!" I said before he did so. "Diaboromon, finish him off! Napalm dunk!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Predator's instinct!" and he strengthened himself again… it looks like my plan to inflict audio disruption on Diaboromon was working! I grinned as Damien said: "Argh! You obnoxious little…!"
And then I said: "Gryphonmon, keep it coming! Supersonic voice!" and he attacked with it again as Damien said: "Diaboromon, use thirst of the beast!" and Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he attacked Gryphonmon with it… but it still knocked him out… I called Gryphonmon back before I said: "This is our chance! Go, Sakuyamon!" and she ran in.
I then went on: "Sakuyamon, use almighty sun!" and Sakuyamon said: "Almighty sun!" and she attacked with it before Damien said: "Diaboromon, use thirst of the beast!" and Diaboromon said: "Thirst of the beast!" and he cast that spell that empowers his next attack and lets him drain health… "Sakuyamon, use almighty sun!" I said before she said: "Almighty sun!" and she attacked with it before Damien said: "Knock her out! Piston punches!" and Diaboromon said: "Mudslide!" and he attacked with a massive torrent of mud, bark, dirt, rocks and debris, sending it flying out of nowhere and into Sakuyamon! She took it really hard and Diaboromon also looked like he felt a lot better again…
"Sakuyamon, almighty sun!" I said before she attacked with it and Damien said: "Diaboromon, use piston punches!" and Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he knocked her out with it…
I called Sakuyamon back before I said: "Go, ShineGreymon!" and he ran in. I then went on: "ShineGreymon, use falling star!" and ShineGreymon said: "Falling star!" and he sent a black line into the air… and then the entire area above us turned into a starry sky! ShineGreymon then leapt up and eventually went so high, he was no longer visible… and soon we saw a white streak through the sky coming down! It descended very fast until soon it was getting close and ShineGreymon was riding his meteor into Diaboromon! He steered it towards Diaboromon and then dismounted it before it crashed into him! "Diaboromon, use thirst of the beast!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Thirst of the beast!" and he used it…
"ShineGreymon, attack with falling star again!" I said and he turned the entire area above into a starry sky again before he leapt up so high, I couldn't see him again… and he rode another meteor down and crashed it into Diaboromon before dismounting. Diaboromon looked really weak now! But then Damien said: "Diaboromon, use icebreaker!" and Diaboromon said: "Icebreaker!" and then he blasted ShineGreymon with a torrent of water before he caused a chilly, icy wind to blow at him, freezing him solid! Then he ran at ShineGreymon and slapped the ice, shattering it and knocking him down… and he wouldn't get back up… Diaboromon looked like he felt so much better, too…
I then called ShineGreymon back. Now for the first time ever, I was scared… I had just gone through 6 of my 8 Digimon and I wasn't sure how I was going to win… all the same, I made sure not to show it though. "Go for it, Dianamon!" I said as she floated in. Then I said: "Dianamon, use good night moon!" and Dianamon said: "Good night moon!" and she ascended into the air over Diaboromon (and her boots began to glow with a bright white light) and her boots shined and the light knocked Diaboromon down! It looked like it worked well, but he still got up… "Diaboromon, get her! Use bramble twine!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Bramble twine!" and he conjured thorny vines that wrapped themselves around Dianamon! They constricted her and held her in place so she couldn't move (and I could hear her groaning in pain…) before they disappeared and she fell down… and Dianamon just barely got up…
"Dianamon, use good night moon!" I said before Dianamon said: "Good night moon!" and she floated over Diaboromon and her boots shined with bright white light before she knocked him down… but he still got up. "Diaboromon, get rid of her! Use tigerclaw!" Damien said and Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he did so… and Dianamon collapsed…
I called her back before I said: "Go on, Rosemon!" and she ran in. I then said: "Rosemon, attack with bramble twine!" and she said: "Bramble twine!" and she conjured thorny vines around Diaboromon which held him there before they disappeared and he fell down before he got up. "Diaboromon, move in for the win! Use thirst of the beast!" Damien said and Diaboromon said: "Thirst of the beast!" and did so…
"Rosemon, get him! Use bramble twine!" I said before she said: "Bramble twine!" and did so… but Diaboromon still got up! "Finish her off! Use tigerclaw!" Damien said before Diaboromon said: "Tigerclaw!" and he attacked Rosemon with it… and she collapsed…
I gave a discouraged sigh as I heard Rosemon say: "Mark… I—I'm so sorry…" and I called her back. Damien then laughed arrogantly before he said: "It looks like you're out of Digimon… which makes me the winner." and then he went on: "Do you see what kind of Digimon Diaboromon is now? A one-man army who can defeat even a gang of Digimon opposing him! You may have won before but your victories mean nothing, now that he's digivolved up to the same level as your Digimon!" and then he used his digivice… and I heard an odd noise behind me before I saw… 3 staff members appear! He must have brought them in with a wormhole…
Damien then said: "Seize him! Grab his arms!" and I tried to run off… but they eventually caught up and grabbed me, holding me in place… Damien then came up to me and reached into one of my pockets as I said: "What… what are you doing?!" and then he pulled out… my digivice… "Yoink." He said as he took it and said: "Don't worry—I'll take good care of it." and I frowned angrily as I said: "You…!" and I struggled to break free of the staff members' grasp, but… it didn't work… Damien made faces at me before he slapped me on the head and he said: "Now take him to his new quarters—we have important work at hand."
And then they walked me all the way up to a higher floor, where they took me into a room that had a desk with a computer and a plate on the wall, yet it was strangely above ground level… and there were chains on it too… they then lifted me up and fastened the chains around my wrists so they were binding me in place and then fastened a chain around my feet, too… now I was held in place on the wall with the plate at my back…
The staff members then stepped away as Damien walked up to the computer and started using it as he said: "Welcome to your new home, Mark. I do hope you're comfy over there?" "Hmph! Spare me your arrogant euphemisms!" I said before Damien laughed and said: "Dear me, that's no way to answer someone's hospitality… but that's fine. We'll have that fixed soon enough." and then I looked down as Damien went on: "Now I suppose you're wondering about what you've been fastened to and why you're in this location… the thing is, the plate behind you and the chains holding you up are all electrically live and have the capability to shock you. And it just so happens this computer can remotely set them off at any time."
And then I frowned at Damien as he went on: "By the way, let me guess… you're thinking none of that matters, because of the protections for users on your account, right?" "It doesn't take a genius to figure out that you must have deactivated them." I said back. Damien then laughed before he said: "Correct! You're quite perceptive." And then he went on: "Of course, it's not anything up to par with high voltage, but… it's still enough volts to the point where it could be considered torturous. That being said, if you don't want to understand how that level of voltage feels, then you'll want to cooperate and do everything I say."
And then he went on: "So without further ado, let's begin. There are some details I'd love to hear you elaborate on… and the first I want to hear is the exact coordinates to the base that houses that girl and all of your stupid, ex-human Digimon friends." "Not a chance!" I said back before Damien snickered and said: "Wow, refusal at the first question… and yet I can't help but wonder… if you know the electricity is going to hurt—and a great deal at that—why would you still be so eager to defy me?" "Honor and loyalty are subjects I don't expect you to understand." I said back. Damien laughed again before he said: "My, what spirit… but I am looking forward to seeing it break." and then he turned to one of his staff members before he said: "Stay here and shock him until he surrenders the information. Zap him into submission!" "Yes sir!" the staff member said before Damien and the other 2 left and the staff member went to the computer and said: "You think you can ignore us, eh? We'll let's see you ignore this!" and then he pressed some keys and shocked me… and the pain was overwhelming…
