I don't own digimon.

Session 24

To the edge

Questioning.

Aaron wished that he didn't have to do this part.

Usually, all it had ever got for him was contradictory statements and raw emotions. On the rare occasion, he would get useful information.

"Elena, do you mind me asking you some questions?" Aaron inquired as the two reached their destination, a small grove of trees.

"Uh... sure." the gale corsair answered as a loud beep was sounded off, only to be followed by a large armored vehicle zooming right on by. At the very least, the driver appeared to wave them hi. "Do you know the driver of that vehicle?"

Aaron took a deep breath.

"Maybe." Aaron answered and attempted to catch one more glimpse of the armored vehicle. "It's probably that troll that dropped me off when you guys went to Drogaciji Academy."

"Oh."

Elena focused back on Aaron.

"Is your name Elena Yuliana?" Aaron started and watched his subject give a confused glance. "Is there something wrong?"

"I guess that's my name." Elena answered as she took some time to think over Aaron's question. While this was the name she had been given, could it really change? Better yet, how did one change their name in the first place?

But before she could ask those questions,

"Next Question. How old are you?"

Silence filled the area as their teammates approached.

"Uh... Elena?"

The gale corsair gave a shrug and took a deep breath.

"If we're going by appearances, I'm fourteen," she whispered, attempting to remember. "Going by actual age, I'm only a couple months.

The entire group did a double take, unsure of how to really process what their 'leader' had just said.

"Oh my. I wouldn't expect that out of you of all people." a voice called out as Alice walked up. "Explains a lot, actually."

"As in?"

*I have no clue.* Suiko responded as Elena gave her a wave. *Thank you.*

Alice responded with a glare, watching Suiko return to her body.

"What do you want now?"

Alice let out a laugh.

"I was wondering why you people are so determined to understand why I left." the gambler snarled and pulled her guns out. "What is so amazing about me that you go this far?"

Elena stared towards her 'friend' and debated her answer. On one hand, she could answer honestly and risk facing the consequences. Or she could attempt to bluff her way out of this situation.

"I care about you, Alice." she whispered and followed it up with a deep breath. "And when I see you like this, I want to be able to help you."

Alice's expression seemed to distort, as if she was unsure of how to really counter Elena's statement.

"You? Oh please." Alice taunted as black energy began to engulf her body. "You can't even follow a simple request to leave a girl alone!"

'Alice, it'll be alright.' Suiko responded, only to find her voice absorbed by this unknown energy. 'Alice, listen to me!'

But Alice ignored her, choosing instead to set her sights on Elena.

"Are you happy with what you created, Elena? Are you happy now?!"

The outline became a cocoon, engulfing the gambler.

Alice infusion digivolve too... GamblerNekomon (Despair)!

"What the fuck?"

In the place of Alice, stood a large white cat creature with a teenage girl chained to its back. The girl was dressed in a white sailor fuku and blue skirt, with her eyelids and mouth sewed shut. In it's left hand, was a deck of cards. It's right, was currently gripping a gun.

Scanning...

GamblerNekomon (Despair)

Super Ultimate, Despair

Special Moves: Despair Draw, Full Auto Barrage, Card Flame

.

Elena: I'm sorry, this wasn't what I intended to do...

GamblerNekomon: This was your choice, honey.

Elena: Then I'll fix you then!

GamblerNekomon: Fix me? Oh please! I'm even better now!

Scan complete.

Despair Draw!

Two cards appeared in front of the girl's chest, revealing the jack of hearts and the ten of spades, personified by Jestery and an unknown airship respectively. Four circular screens formed around Alice, showing two places in the digital world and two other worlds.

Of course, our heroes were curious about what was being shown, so they focused on that.

The first screen looked towards a restaurant on a hill in Server. It was unoccupied thankfully, leaving no casualties. And as an added bonus, the Digitamamon who owned it could get the insurance money and rebuild the place. Of course, that still left the paperwork that would need to be filled out and meeting up with his insurance agent.

Their gazes shifted, quite confused at what they were looking at.

The second screen showed an upside-down pyramid in the deserts of the same island. Unlike the previous screen, the people here weren't as lucky. Their structure weathered a majority of the blow, but that still left a bit to scorch the life out a couple clockwork pokemon.

"Wonderful." a voice remarked as he stood within the dark. "I hope you're ready to take on the wrath of the clockworks!"

Yet as the words came out of his mouth, they seemed worthless. He knew better and had let his anger get the best of him. For the moment, he needed some time to reflect. And possibly a drink of some sort.

They shifted their vision once more.

The third screen displayed a soundstage of sorts, set in some grayscale color theme. The beam landed in the water here, making the least damage of all.

"Great, nya." a catgirl whispered and took a deep breath. She had hoped to get the some time off soon to visit a friend, but that possibility seemed quite unlikely. "I can't catch a break, can I?"

The figure beside her, a catgirl belly dancer of sorts, gave her a confused glance.

"What are you even talking about?" her partner asked and got a slap in return.

"Must I have to remind you, nya?" the catgirl shouted and took a deep breath, pulling a photo of sorts out of her cloak. It displayed her and some black haired woman in a violet lolita outfit. It was taken by a friend of hers after that tournament, mostly so she could have something to remember her friend by. "Soon, Victoria."

As they looked towards the last screen, they could tell something was different.

This one showed a black abyss with what looked like a basement within it.

There were only two survivors, a pair of teenage boys.

"Shit." the first one, some gothic punk with a minigun mutters as he looked towards his companion, a demonic-looking creature with a chainsaw. "It's just us, Bill."

Bill then walked over to his friend and placed a claw on his shoulder.

"Some days, life just doesn't make sense." Bill remarked and followed it up with a deep breath. "For now Gabe, we should count our blessings and give them their last rites."

"Of course." Gabe answered and sighed. The duo then made their way over to the bodies of the fallen, three years of works reduced to nothing. And while a chance for them to ride again could come, it was an unlikely one. "Thank you for the battle we fought and the insults you idiots slung. Things won't quite be the same without you guys."

"Amen."

Afterwards, the two made their way towards the back edge of the area, jumping through a portal that had appeared for them.

"Thanks, author." they whispered as they jumped through.

Back in the real world, Elena and company had refocused their attention on Alice. They hadn't really said much outside of a couple guesses from Joey attempting to

"Oopsy!" Alice announced, firing off a few shots into the air. "Oh well, no one actually liked them anyhow."

Everyone except Elena pulled their weapons out.

"Stop this..." Elena whispered and slowly approached Alice, making sure to dodge in any oncoming fire should her friend choose to do so. "This isn't what any of us want!"

Full Auto Barrage!

Alice fired both her guns off, without a second thought to the gale corsair's wishes. Yet, Elena took the attack head-on. Even if it did force her to switch forms. She soared into the air and focused in on the opponent.

Memory Spirits!

Elena launched forth a couple translucent figures and followed it up with a couple gale wings, creating a couple of small explosions in the process. Yet all that it caused seemed to be was making the target's fur shinier.

"Is that really it?" Alice shouted as her deck of cards appeared in front of her. "Because I've had babies hit me harder than that."

Card Flame!

Fire engulfed the gale corsair, which she chose to land and roll all about.

"I'm not sure that's how it works." Joey remarked as he took a deep breath, focusing on Alice!

Shadow Neko Scratch!

A pair of cat claws appeared, but they were swatted away. He had half expected that to have been followed up by something from one of his teammates, but that was not the case.

Instead, Lily was getting some sort of incense out and placing it into curved tray. She motioned for Elena to come over, only to push the gale corsair into it.

Incense Burn!

Elena's vision began to twist all about as the scent and smoke took her in.

Notes:

This was long overdue. Even if it was full-on teardown the old chapter and rewrite it from the ground up. Also, stuff related to something else.

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Next Time: Within the mist...