ANOTHER Digidestined?
Chapter 4:
Freedom Fighting
Legal crap: Digimon is copyrighted. My Digimon are Mine. This story is mine. As you can tell, I hate disclaimers. I have only two words for lawyers: screw you!
My ramblings:
My chapters always have been and always will be short. Don't like it? Tough. I wrote this chapter while I was listening to Limp Bizkit's new album (Hot Dog is one VERY fucking good song), which might explain any weirdness.
Joe opened a sleepy eye. He hadn't even gotten out of bed and he already knew that today was going to be bad. Gommamon would have told him to cheer up and stop being such a pessimist, but he hadn't seen his friend for almost a year. As he slowly got up and prepared for another tiring day of school, he thought about the adventures he had had with his partner. Despite the hardship of living in the wilderness, the constant danger and no food for days on end, Joe had to admit last summer was the best time of his life. Gommamon was his best friend, understood him better than anyone else. And Joe was never going to see him again.
As usual, his brief bouts of happiness were crushed by pain and loneliness. He would never admit it, but he missed Gommamon more than anything.
***
"Hey sleepyheads, wake up." A small white 'head' and a green and white 'plant' slowly got up. The head hopped out of a coat pocket and rubbed its eyes with its long 'ears'.
"Ya coulda given me 5 minutes! I was avin' dis great dream 'bout me an' a LadyDevimon 'avin'-"
The head stopped talking as it realised that those kind of dreams were better left unsaid. The black-haired human shook his head.
"Is getting laid the ONLY thing on your mind? Don't answer that." he asked. He turned to the plant. "Where DID you find him anyway?"
"In some ruins." she replied. "Ignore him, he's only a few months old."
"No way! I wuz alive before ye foun' me. I jes forgo' who I wuz an' why I became a Digi-egg 'gain... Damn, dat Lady wuz hot!"
The plant turned away in a revolted manner.
"You're as disgusting as a Numemon!"
"Knock it off. We need to get moving before any bad Digimon find us." the half-dressed human interjected.
He put on his dark green T-shirt, then proceeded to put on his socks and shoes. The head jumped on his shoulder.
"'Ave ye actually seen a LadyDevimon?" he whispered in the boy's ear.
"No."
"I'm telling ya, ye'd feel de same way if ya see one. Nudge, nudge, wink, wink."
"Hey Ben, come over here." the plant said.
The 12-year old walked over to where she was and crouched down besides her.
"What is it?"
"What's that?"
Ben peered over the edge of the boulder they were camped behind. In the distance, close to the buildings Ben saw when first he came to the Digiworld, was a large black something.
"It looks like some sort of cloud. Maybe there's a fire... Well, we won't find out if we don't get closer. Shall we investigate?"
"No. That's in the heart of the enemy's territory." the In-Training Digimon replied.
"So? I c'n get dere 'n' back in a day."
Tanemon looked at the Micro Digimon in disdain.
"You've only hatched a few months ago. How do you think you could get there and back?" she said.
The small creature grinned.
"I'm only a few inches tall. I'm too small for da baddies ta see me."
"Don't bother. I'm okay with taking risks, but that's suicide!" said Ben. He sighed.
"What's the matter?" she asked. She could tell that there was something more to the gesture than exasperation.
"I still haven't gotten over this completely."
"Ova whu'?"
"Everything! All these Digimon, trapped in some computer world, conversations with plants and heads... I've seen enough weirdness to last a lifetime. The next thing you're telling me, is that I'm one of those 'Digidestined' kids that saved the world last summer."
He shook his head and looked at the In-Training and Micro Digimon. He had only known them for a week, but he already felt a very strong emotional attachment with them. He tried to get his thoughts straight but failed. Instead, he concentrated on finding food and a new camp for them. He put on the coat, and the tiny Akromon bounced into the largest pocket. He reached down and gently put the small Tanemon on his shoulder.
"An' so yet anudder 'xcitin' day in de udderwise borin' life of Ben begins." said Akromon.
"You said it Kro." agreed Ben.
He climbed out from behind the boulder and walked towards the forest.
***
"SSHHIIITT!!!!!" Ben screamed.
*SPLASH*
The attacker turned its attention from Ben to his friends.
"Ben!" Akromon called. He hopped to the edge and looked down. He couldn't see him. "Tanemon! We needa ge' ouda 'ere!"
"What about Ben?" she replied, while dodging another Boom Bubble.
"I d'no! Whu' I DO know is we're dead if we don' run!"
Their white and orange attacker launched itself into the air. It flew up, then came swooping down on Tanemon. Akromon jumped in the way, though, and took the attack full on.
"NNOOO!!" Tanemon cried as Akromon was sent tumbling over the edge. She turned to her former friend. "Patamon, stop! Please!"
The gliding Digimon ignored her plea.
"Prepare for termination!" he said in a voice that wasn't his own. His body swelled up with air. "Boom Bubble! PAH!"
He blew it out in a single shot, knocking him back a few feet. The blast of compressed air slammed into the bridge a few feet from Tanemon. She started crying.
"I'm sorry Patamon..." she shouted through her tears. "...But you leave me no choice! Bubble Blow!"
A stream of pink bubbles were sent right at Patamon. Tanemon's aim was true, and Patamon fell to the ground. Unfortunately, she was only an In-Training while he was a Rookie, so her attack did little more than stun him. He got up again and prepared for another charge. As he flew up, a loud splashing could be heard. Patamon ignored it, and swooped down at Tanemon.
*BIFF*
"Ben!" she cried.
Patamon rubbed his sore cheek and looked up at the now-soaking and VERY angry Ben.
"Back off!" the boy snarled. As a reply, Patamon flew up and out of reach. He dived down at Ben, but he was ready for the charge. He waited for the right moment and grabbed Patamon in mid-air. Patamon started to struggle, but to no avail. Ben turned his attention to Tanemon. "Are you okay?" he asked.
"I'm fine." she replied.
Coughing and spluttering, Akromon came bouncing out of the river. Patamon looked like he was going to try to fly again, but Ben adjusted his grip to cover the wings.
"Wha' dwe *cough* do *cough* wid 'm?" Akromon asked.
"I dunno." replied Ben. He wondered how something so cute and hopeful be so evil. "But he's certainly a danger to us." he continued.
Tanemon looked at Ben in distress, misinterpreting his tone.
"We can't hurt him! He's one of my friends."
Ben and Akromon's jaws dropped.
"'Xcuse me? Dis guy almost DROWNED us!"
"He wasn't always like this! Something's happened to him, like he's been hit by a Black Gear or-"
Patamon managed to get an arm free and started to scratch Ben's hand. Patamon and Akromon gasped as they the saw the arm: there was a black spiral enveloping it. It snaked from his paw up to his shoulder.
"Wha' in da name o' SaberLeomon is DAT?" Akromon asked.
Patamon gave up scratching Ben, and instead bit his left hand.
"Son of a bitch!" Ben swore. He tried to shake the bat-eared creature off, but he held on tight. Ben grabbed Patamon with his right hand and tried to pull him off. Patamon swiped at Ben's hand, trying to make him let go of him. His spiral-covered arm hit the Digivice strapped to Ben's wrist. It emitted a bright, yellow beam and the spiral was deleted. Patamon let go and was flung to the ground. He got back up and saw Tanemon.
"Tanemon?" he asked, his voice back to its normal state. "What happened?" He looked at Akromon and Ben, and saw the Digivice. "Hey, another Digidestined!" he said.
"Patamon?" Tanemon asked. "Are you okay?"
***
"...and that's all I remember." Patamon finished. "After that, it was like I was asleep. The next thing I can clearly recall is meeting you three."
It was nighttime, and the 3 Digimon and the human were sitting close to a log fire. Patamon had just finished explaining what had been happening for the past few months.
[Tanemon flashback]
After the Digidestined left, the Digimon had tried to continue with their lives. As the months went by Digiworld was completely restored. But all was not well. In January mysterious things had occurred. Some good Digimon went evil, others disappeared. Everyone had been wondering what was going on. Then it happened. In March many of the missing Digimon returned. They acted like zombies and attacked every 'free' Digimon they came across. Many were captured but most took refuge in Toy Town and Primary Village where the strongest of all good Digimon stood guard. Even the Destined Digimon where captured. Palmon managed to escape by hiding in some ruins, but she was so tired from fighting the 'zombies' she dedigivolved. That was where she found Akromon's Digi-egg. Once he hatched, the two lived in the forest until Ben came.
[end]
[Patamon flashback]
Patamon flew as fast as his wings could carry him. The other Destined Digimon were on the shore of the lake where Gabumon first digivolved. He soared out of the forest and warned the others of the three Kuwagumon coming their way. He had hardly finished when the bugs attacked. Everyone fought bravely, and Gatomon even managed to K.O. one of them, but then a Frigimon appeared and his Sub-Zero Ice Punch got them all. A Pepper Breath managed to free Agumon and Palmon but Agumon was caught again. The two conscious Kuwagumon picked up the ice block with the six Rookie Digimon and one Champion and flew it to Infinity Mountain. One by one the Digimon were freed and taken inside. When it was Patamon's turn, he was taken into a dark chamber. He heard someone say "Midnight-" from behind and then all went black.
[end]
Ben looked pensively at the Digivice he had strapped to his wrist.
{
Apparently, only Digidestined were able to go into the Digiworld, but Ben wasn't one. He didn't have a Digivice, a 'Crest' or a partner Digimon. All he had was Mimi's Digivice and a bunch of friends.
"Looks like there's a new head honcho in town. And unless I've missed my guess, Tanemon's the only Destined Digimon that wasn't caught by those Midnight Spirals." he spoke.
Tanemon nodded in agreement.
"That's probably how whoever makes them controls everyone." she said.
"This looks a lot like Devimon's work." Patamon said.
"Who's Devimon?" Ben asked.
"When T.K. and the others first came to the Digiworld, we had to fight a virus-type Digimon called Devimon. He used Black Gears to turn good Digimon into bad and break up File Island."
"You're right, the two are very similar. Do you think he might have returned?"
"No. I deleted him myself." Ben looked at him skeptically. "I did. I had digivolved to Angemon to protect T.K., then I deleted Devimon. It used up all my energy, so I turned back into a Digi-egg."
"Do you guys know any Digimon that use Midnight Spirals?"
Patamon and Tanemon said no, but Akromon got really nervous.
"Well, dere's dis one guy I knew. 'S name wuz Nigh'mon. Seriously bad-assed, ya know? Woulda made a Myo'ismon look cute'n'cuddly."
"So where is he?"
"Don' rememba. Guess I knew 'im 'fore I dedigivolved back to an egg. I'm no' even shur on 'is specs, like 'is lev'l an' dat."
Tanemon turned to Ben.
"Did you understand a single word of his gibberish?"
"Yep. Getting better at it all the time." Ben replied. He turned to Akromon. "So you're saying you know of a Digimon called Nightmon that uses Midnight Spirals, but remember nothing else?"
"Yup. I 'ate bein' senile."
The others laughed a bit, then turned in for the night.
***
The group of freedom fighters were walking through the forest again. Patamon flew ahead while Akromon and Tanemon peeked out of Ben's coat. Ben was thinking about the events that introduced him to Akromon and Tanemon. That first Digimon he saw was Kuwagumon, a nasty Champion Digimon. How long ago was it? A week? A month? Ben had lost track. But to his surprise he could remember exactly how it happened. How he scrambled to safety at the last moment. How the bug's giant red foot hit him and knocked him out. He recalled the moment when he woke up and met Akromon and Tanemon. Boy did he freak out.
"Ben?" Akromon asked.
"What?" he replied.
"Whuz'up?"
"I was thinking about the first few days here."
Akromon chuckled.
"Ye gave de word 'scaredycat' a noo meenin'."
Ben was silent for a moment.
"Do you guys have the feeling we're being watched?" he asked.
Patamon glided close to Ben.
"Yeah." he replied.
Ben continued walking. As he passed a large bush, he quickly grabbed Patamon and dived in it.
"Ssh." he told the others.
Soon enough they saw a Vegiemon stealthily hopped from one tree to another. It jumped out of the tree when it couldn't find them. Looking around, it searched the treetops.
"Where are they?" came the voice that Patamon had when he was 'Spiralled'.
A Garbagemon noisily slammed next to Vegiemon.
"Lost them." replied Vegiemon in the same cold voice.
Garbagemon narrowed its eyes. Vegiemon suddenly turned around and bounced away. Garbagemon looked closely at something in the ground. He then straightened up and brought his cannon to bare.
"Junk Chunker!"
A large piece of pink sludge slammed into a tree close to the bush Ben and the Digimon were hiding in. The tree fell over, almost flattening them. Luckily the branches of the tree were right between them and Garbagemon. Carefully and quietly, Ben and Patamon slowly crawled out of the bush and entered a more dense part of the forest. Once Ben was sure that they were safe he sat down.
"Whoah. That was a close shave." he said.
"Ugh, that Garbagemon reeked. And he was too messy for my liking." Tanemon commented.
Ben laughed. {She's so much like Mimi.} He suddenly got a vacant look.
"Jeez, 'e's gone 'gain." Akromon said.
"What are you talking about?" Patamon asked.
"'E cons'an'ly stops movin' und jes sits un stares."
"Every now and then Ben gets submerged in his thoughts. I think he keeps on thinking about someone." Tanemon explained.
"Poor kid. 'E'z 'ad nigh'mares ev'ry nigh' since 'e came 'ere." The two small Digimon climbed out of Ben's coat. "When 'e goes like dat, nuddin shord uva scream in 'iz ear'll snap 'im ouda id."
"Who is he thinking about?" Patamon wondered.
"Probably his family." Tanemon replied.
{Man, it gets more painful by the day. I miss Jake, Travis- hell, everyone!}
Ben's thoughts wandered back to Mimi. She was on his mind almost every minute, and it hurt!
{Why in God's name do I love her? I'm too young, I've only known her for almost a year... WHY? I miss her more than anything. Life was SO much less complicated when I was just a Sub-Op in Rogue Squadron.}
Patamon sniffed the air.
"Do you guys smell that?"
Akromon sniffed as well.
"Yeah. I jes realised I go' a MAJOR case uv da munchees."
"It smells like burnt fish."
"You guys go check it out. I'll stay here with Ben." Tanemon stated.
Patamon and Akromon bounced and hopped to the origin of the nice smell. Once they were out of earshot Patamon glided down close to Akromon.
"How is he coping?"
"Hoo? Ben? Nah, no' really. I t'ink 'e misses 'iz 'ome more ev'ry day."
They continued walking for a while, the smell getting stronger all the time.
"What level are you?" Patamon asked suddenly.
"I'm a Micro. Why?"
"It seems a bit wierd to me that you haven't already digivolved. Every other Digimon evolves to In-Training almost immediately after they're born."
"I jes don' 'ave de strength. Ben, Tanemon and me 've bin starvin' most uv de time. Itz real hard ta ge' food wid all de bad Digimon around nowadays."
They entered a small clearing. On the other side was a small logfire with some fishing roasting on a spit. Akromon's mouth watered and he immediately hopped towards the fire as fast as he could.
"No, wait!" Patamon warned. He chased after Akromon and quickly caught up with him. Just as they got within a meter from the roasting fish a wire net was sprung and wrapped around Akromon and Patamon.
"Help!" they cried out.
End Chapter 4