Part 10: Operation Save Agumon-tachi!
Everyone gaped at the young boy, looks of amazement and astonishment on their faces.
"Iori!" Armadimon called, surprised to hear his human partner speak in such a way.
Iori held his head, looking as if he was struggling to think on his own. He then shook his head again; finally feeling a bit composed, he noticed the look everyone was giving him. He was totally oblivious as to what had just happened or what he had just said.
"What's the matter," he asked innocently of them.
"Um, you just called us a bunch of jerks, and insulted us," Mimi stated, a bit surprised that Iori was acting as if nothing had happened.
"That's definitely not like you," Miyako said, a bit worried over her friend's current mental state.
"I wouldn't say anything that disrespectful to you all," the boy insisted. He then scratched his head in uncertainty. "I don't think I said anything like that…"
"I say we forget about it, we have to save the other Digimon," Jyou whispered to Koushirou. "Let Iori-kun sit this fight out, we'll figure out what's wrong with him later, after the Digimon are freed. Besides, we'll be right here with him."
"Good idea," Koushirou nodded. He then turned to face the others. "It's nothing, Iori-kun. You sit this fight out and let the others rescue the other Digimon."
Jyou and Koushirou gave a look to the others so that they'd go along with them.
"Um…yeah!" Daisuke caught on, noticing the looks Jyou and Koushirou were giving him. "Fladramon and the others can handle those weird Digimon out there!!"
"Yeah, let's have Armadimon rest," Takeru added.
"If Izumi-senpai thinks it's a good idea for you and Armadimon to rest, then it must be," Miyako smiled.
"I was about to say the same thing," Mimi chimed in.
"It was Jyou's idea, actually," Koushirou corrected.
"Good idea, Jyou-senpai!" Mimi smiled with a thumbs-up. "He always comes up with good ideas too!"
"You mean you don't mind if I sit this battle out? It is my responsibility as a fellow Chosen Child to help in the battles."
"Nope, and we understand completely as to why," Hikari said, giving the youngest boy a gentle smile. "Now let's save all of our pals and trash those Garbamon and dispose of those Gokimon!"
"Yeah!!"
"Let's go, everyone!" Nefertimon instructed.
"Nefertimon, you and Pegasmon destroy the Dark Towers; Fladramon and I will attack the Garbamon and the Gokimon and put them on the run. In the process, Daisuke-san and Miyako-san can go and rescue the others by freeing them."
"Okay," the three other Armor Digimon agreed.
"Right!" Daisuke and Miyako nodded, understanding Holsmon's instructions.
Takeru hopped onto Pegasmon's back, just as Hikari did with Nefertimon, while both Daisuke and Miyako watched the fierce battle commence.
It was a bit too dangerous for them to ride on their Digimon while they fought; besides, when they got the chance, they were going to go and open the cell to free the older kids' Digimon partners.
"Hey, look up there!" a Gokimon pointed.
"A bunch of pesky Digimon," one of the Garbamon sneered.
****
Meanwhile…
"Hey guys, look!" Agumon pointed. He was curious what all of the commotion was and went to check it out.
The other Digimon walked over to where Agumon was and looked at what he was pointing at.
"It's Fladramon and Holsmon!" Tentomon said, grateful for the arrival of their Digimon allies.
"Piyomon must've gotten through!" Palmon said in delight as she started to cheer and jump around ecstatically.
"Look, Pegasmon and Nefertimon are over by the Dark Towers," Gomamon informed them.
"If those two destroy them, then we'll be able to evolve and help them get rid of those stupid Garbamon and Gokimon!" Agumon said.
"Hmm, it seems that Holsmon and Fladramon are creating a diversion so that Pegasmon and Nefertimon can destroy the Dark Towers," Gabumon noted after studying the four Digimon's fighting tactics.
Palmon stopped jumping around and cheering and decided to see for her
self what Gabumon was referring too. After taking a look, she nodded.
"Yeah, it does seem that way. That's pretty smart of them."
****
Holsmon flew up to the large group of unsanitary Digimon, while Fladramon
kept up on foot.
"Hey, Gokimon," Holsmon gestured, "how about fighting against us!"
"Hey, you're not supposed to be here!" one of the Gokimon argued.
"And we're supposed to care because?" Fladramon sarcastically taunted.
"Hold it right there," a Garbamon said, eyeing Fladramon and Holsmon, his canon in hand.
"I told you those Gokimon were weak," Holsmon scoffed.
"Yeah, if they were really threatening, they would've attacked us by now."
"If it's a battle that big bird wants, then let's give him one!" the Head Gokimon commanded. "Okay, *Gokimon Gundan, attack!"
*Note: Gokimon Gundan, if I did that right, should mean Gokimon Troops*
"Hai!" the rest of them nodded, going after Holsmon.
All of the Gokimon attacked the bird of love at the same time, but Holsmon just turned and flew off, Fladramon running along with him, who was being tailed by the Head Garbamon, who had ordered his troops to attack.
"I'll take on the Garbamon since you have your hands full with the bugs!" Fladramon called up to Holsmon.
"Right!!" Holsmon nodded as he and Fladramon split up, his flying left, Fladramon leaping right.
The Gokimon continued after Holsmon, all aiming and tossing out attacks
at the bird.
****
RP: I really can't remember any attacks for Gokimon, meaning what they
look like and stuff, so you all can have the fun of deciding what attacks
they're using. ^^''
****
"I really hate roaches!" he muttered as he continued to fly
off.
"And I don't like Thanksgiving Turkeys unless served with rolls and gravy with all of the trimmings," the Head Gokimon snubbed at Holsmon. "Gokimon, bring that giant rooster down!"
Offended by the insult, Holsmon spun his body as a giant cyclone formed around him. He then launched the tornado like attack. "Tempest Wing!" his voice echoed.
The wind from the spin blew most of the icky roaches back. Preparing to attack again, red beams about to shoot from his eyes, he noticed the Head Gokimon, and how he wasn't ordering his troops to attack him anymore; instead, he looked to be running away. Due to this, he refrained from using his "Red Sun" attack.
"Gokimon Gundan, koutai!!" the Head Gokimon directed, way ahead of his troops.
"Koutai?" Holsmon thought. "Retreat?"
With that, all of the Gokimon rushed off in the opposite direction.
"That was easier than I thought, a bit too easy," Holsmon muttered
warily as he watched the Gokimon rush off towards the horizon…
****
Meanwhile, over in another area…
"Do you think you can withstand our sludge attack!" the Head Garbamon asked Fladramon, aiming his cannon at him. He didn't give the courageous reptilian the chance to respond. "Garbamon, attack!! Ready…Aim…Fire!!"
Sounds of cannons went off as each of the Garbamon simultaneously shot at the armored Digimon. Flames started to engulf Fladramon's hand, as he watched the sludge heading towards him. "I don't think so," he said while shaking his head. "Knuckle Fire!!"
He shot out a numerous, wild attack of fireballs, which burnt the icky, smelly pink sludge that the group of Garbamon had thrown at him.
*Note: You all know that that pink sludge isn't really sludge and is just referred to as sludge for the dub...right? The original name for that attack where they shoot out that pink sludge with the cannons is "Poop Bazooka."*
After destroying all of the sludge that was being thrown at him, Fladramon stared at the Garbamon in disbelief, and slight amusement. They had run out of ammo.
"You're not so tough!" Fladramon scoffed, staring over at the dirty Garbamon group. "Is that all you got?"
"No fair!" the Head Garbamon complained with a whine. "That was our best shot!"
"You could use some new fighting techniques! Fire Rocket!!"
Scared of being hit by the fire-based missiles that Fladramon was sending out at them, the Head Garbamon did what he only felt was the best alternative for his situation.
"Let's get out of here!"
The other Garbamon didn't hesitate and took off, not wanting to get
hurt, just as the Gokimon had.
****
Over at the Dark Towers…
"How come these Dark Towers seem harder to knock down?" Takeru asked from atop Pegasmon's back."
"I have no idea, but we have to destroy them!" A beam of light shined upwards towards the sky as a stone-looking tablet formed within it. "Rosetta Stone!!" the Egyptian, Sphynx-like Queen called, the stones ramming into each of the Dark Towers.
Pegasmon's mane hair stood on end as he prepared for his attack. "Silver Blaze!!" Silver like beams shot from his mane, hitting both of the towers.
'If only Digmon were here,' Hikari thought. 'He does such a good
job when it comes to knocking down Dark Towers.'
****
Back, hidden away from the battle…
"It seems like Pegasmon and Nefertimon are having a difficult time destroying those Dark Towers," Mimi informed the others. "If only our Digimon could help."
"That's weird, it shouldn't be that difficult," Jyou said.
Izzy wasn't really listening, but had more of an interest in Iori and that Digivice of his. He stared at Iori, who was staring blankly and expressionlessly at the battle being fought.
"What is wrong with him..." Koushirou wondered in thought.
Even though Holsmon and Fladramon had put the Gokimon and Garbamon on the run, the Digimon were still having trouble with the Dark Towers. No matter how hard they tried, or how powerful an attack they would use, they just couldn't destroy them. They could barely damage them.
Jyou, Mimi, and Koushirou raced ahead of both Miyako and Daisuke, Iori and Armadimon trailing behind them, when they went to free their imprisoned Digimon friends.
Gomamon and Palmon rushed over to Mimi and Jyou and hugged them tightly, as if this was going to be their last time seeing them.
"Oh Palmon!" Mimi cried, tears of joy streaming down her cheeks, hugging her grass-like Digi. "I just knew something had happened to you."
"Don't worry, Mimi, I'm okay now," Palmon smiled, her hug on Mimi growing tighter.
"Hey there, pal," Jyou greeted, giving his partner a quick hug and then a high-five.
"Hey Jyou," Gomamon greeted, that same, playful, outgoing tone he seemed to always have. "Glad you could make it."
"You actually thought I wouldn't!!"
"I never doubted you for a second."
Both laughed, and Jyou gave Gomamon a handshake. "Same old Gomamon," the glasses-wearing boy smiled.
"Hey, Tentomon, are you okay?"
Tentomon huffed and flew over to Koushirou, landing right beside him.
"My tree house!" he grumbled irritably.
"Tree house?"
Pegasmon and Nefertimon, along with Holsmon and Fladramon, gave up on the Dark Towers by the time the others had joined them, curious as to why the Dark Towers were still up.
"I give up!" Nefertimon shouted out in defeat.
"Those things just won't budge!" Pegasmon complained.
"Not even one scratch!" Fladramon sighed.
"I'm getting pretty tired," Holsmon said as he laid down on the ground, tempted to devolve back to Hawkmon.
"How about you guys take a rest for a while, you've earned it."
"No way, Miyako!" Daisuke protested. "We have to get rid of those things, even if it means us ramming ourselves into them!"
"Um…I've always said that I was allergic to pain, and I still am."
Mimi laughed a bit at Jyou's statement. "I haven't heard you complain
in a long time about your allergies that you never seemed to actually have,"
she then whispered to Jyou, "but I'm with you on that one, I don't like
purposely hurting myself either," she then went back to her normal tone
of voice, "but if it means we have to help our friends, it's worth the
sacrifice!"
****
RP: Just to let you know, for the original version, Jyou isn't allergic
to anything and doesn't go around constantly complaining about his being
allergic to everything.
****
"Daisuke is right! We have to get rid of them!"
Mimi started to study the two towers. "But neither one of them has a scratch on it, Agumon, and Pegasmon, Holsmon, Nefertimon, and Fladramon are all trying their…hardest…" The girl trailed off, something on one of the towers catching her eye.
"What is wrong, Mimi-san?" Koushirou asked, wondering why Mimi had become so quiet.
"I see one little scratch on that one, right there," the girl responded, pointing to the Dark Tower on the left. "You guys made a scratch after all."
"Aim for the scratch she saw, you guys!" Jyou instructed. "I'm sure that'll help some!"
"Maybe we need more power," Nefertimon stated as she took to the sky.
"How about we all attack at the same time, all together," Pegasmon suggested. "Agumon and the others could help too!"
Everyone nodded.
"I guess that leaves us out again," Palmon sighed to Gomamon.
"Yeah, looks like it," the sea mammal grimaced.
"Good luck you guys," Palmon smiled to the Digimon who could launch out attacks.
"Okay Digimon, let's go!" Agumon instructed.
"I'm helping too!"
"Go right ahead and help, Armadimon. The more help, the better!" the electrical bug praised.
"On the count of three every one," Daisuke directed. "Ichi, ni---"
"MATTE!!" Mimi interrupted, causing Daisuke to nearly topple over from the outburst.
*Note: Matte means wait, or hold on."
"What is it," he asked.
"I don't think Palmon and Gomamon should stand so close. They should move out of the way in case the Dark Towers fall in their direction."
"Good idea, Mimi!" Palmon said. "Isn't my Mimi wonderful!"
"C'mon, Palmon, let's move."
Palmon and Gomamon moved out of the way and stood by Mimi.
"Are we finished now?" Daisuke asked, irritation in his voice, anxious to hurry up and get the towers down.
Every nodded.
"Okay, now let's finish this now! On the count of three, everyone! Ichi, ni, san!!"
"Silver Blaze!"
"Curse of the Queen!" Nefertimon called, two beams of light shooting from her crown.
"Ujat Gaze!" Holsmon called, white rings flying from his eyes into the Dark Tower.
"Fire Rocket!"
"Baby Flame!" Agumon called out as he hurled out the small, fireball.
"Petit Fire!" Gabumon's voice echoed, a stream of blue fire shooting from his throat.
"Petit Thunder!"
"I'll finish this off since I can't throw out attacks in my child (rookie) form!" Armadimon said, preparing himself. "Rolling Stone!"
Armadimon rolled himself up into a ball and launched himself into the Tower. Luckily, all of the attacks combined and Armadimon finishing it off with his "Rolling Stone" worked and the Dark Tower fell.
"Yatta!" Daisuke cheered, pumping his fist into the air.
*Note: That means, "Success" or "Hooray," something along the lines of that.*
"Great job you guys!" Gomamon complimented.
"Now you all try to knock down the other one and destroy it! It'll be so nice to be able to evolve to Togemon again."
They all nodded and successfully knocked over the other one. Everyone cheered for them. Jyou then spoke up.
"I don't know why, but it seems that those Garbamon and Gokimon gave up too easily."
"Does it really matter?" Daisuke asked, not really caring one way or the other if their enemy Digimon had run off. He then gave the "V" for victory. "A victory is a victory!"
"I guess," Jyou muttered, "but it still seems wrong to me…"
"Well, now that everything is somewhat normal again, why not let me check out that Digivice of yours, Iori-kun," Koushirou asked, still determined to figure out why it was reacting the way that it was.
Iori just stood there, staring blankly out into space, not hearing one word of what was asked by his predecessor.
Both Mimi and Jyou called to the younger boy. "Iori-kun?"
Iori still didn't respond, and continued to stare blankly, as if he currently had nothing on his mind.
"Iori, Izumi-senpai called you," Miyako said, hoping to get his attention.
When that didn't work, Daisuke walked up to the younger boy and started to wave his right hand in front of Iori's face.
"Anybody home in there?"
Iori didn't say anything and before anyone could blink, Iori grabbed the boy's wrist.
"Hey, quit it! That hurts!"
Iori continued to squeeze the goggle boy's hand harder, turning his wrist into an awkward position, which was causing Daisuke to kneel down a bit, but not entirely, from the pain that he was in. Daisuke kept trying to get out of his grasp, regardless of how much it hurt, but he wasn't succeeding.
Everyone else just stood there, too surprised to actually do anything.
"I never knew Iori-kun was so…strong," Hikari uttered in amazement.
"Neither…did…I," Takeru managed to say, blinking dumb-founded.
"Iori?" was all Miyako could say, her eyes as wide as saucers from the sight.
"Guys, don't just stand there, make him stop!" Daisuke pleaded.
The others were still dumb struck to do anything, mouths gaping open.
"C'mon, stop! This hurts!" Daisuke cried, streaked tears of pain streaming down his face. "Okay, I promise to never use your Shinnai for Baseball practice, or for busting piñatas during my sister's International Club meetings when they're doing any Mexican customs ever again!" Daisuke groveled. "Just let me go!! Please!!"
"Iori, let him go!!"
Hearing Armadimon's plea, Iori let go of Daisuke's wrist, causing the Digimental Carrier of Friendship and Courage to fall to the ground.
"Itete, itete, itete," Daisuke kept muttering while holding his wrist in pain.
*Note: Itete means "Ouch"*
Iori, ignoring Daisuke's mutters of pain, turned to face Koushirou, his eyes cold, blank, and dead.
"Did you say something to me, Koushirou-san?" he asked, no feeling in his voice.
"I-I just wanted to examine your Digivice, so that I cou---"
"NO!!" Iori, once again, held his D-3 tightly up to his chest. "This is my Digivice and you can't look at it!"
"I think something is wrong, just let me check it out," Koushirou responded, trying his best to remain calm. "Or better yet, let Miyako-kun check it out if you don't want me to."
"No!! It's mine and you can't have it so there!" Iori yelled at Koushirou.
The boy then did something that no one had ever seen him do. He stuck out his tongue and pulled down his right eyelid, yelling out, "Biida Bii!" while keeping a good grasp on his D-3 with the other hand.
"Nya, nya, nya!" Iori taunted. He then turned to them and started to shake his rear end at the group, while patting it, still sticking his tongue out at them. "Finders Keepers, Losers Weepers! Nya! And you can't get it back!" The boy then started to laugh as if he was that of a very young, spoiled child, playing a game and refusing to share. "Nya, Nya, Nya!"
Everyone's looks were that of astonishment, their jaws dropped and their eyes wide.
"Iori?" Miyako asked, a look of stress on her face as if she had been through a lot of turmoil.
"It's official," Daisuke managed to say, "he has finally cracked!"
****
"He is acting like a spoiled child that has had too much sugar!" Hawkmon
pointed out.
"Iori would never act like that!" Armadimon insisted, defending his human partner. "He's as selfless as they come, and he always eats well-balanced meals!"
"Iori normally acts mature for his age, not like a child his age." Tailmon thought for a moment, correcting herself. "No wait, that's wrong. He's acting younger than a child his age. He's acting like a two or three year old who doesn't want to share a toy."
"Any idea why?" Palmon asked.
"Not at all," V-mon shook his head, just as puzzled as everyone else.
****
"Did he bump his head before Mimi-kun and I met up with you all today?"
the doctor-in-training whispered to the others.
They shook their heads and looked at Jyou, who sighed. He figured that they wanted him to figure out what was wrong since he was the oldest of the group.
"Whoa boy, we have ourselves a problem," Jyou groaned as he rolled his eyes. He then turned to Iori, and started to speak to him as if he was his big brother. "C'mon, buddy, what's the matter? Why won't you let us look at your Digivice? If you do, I'll take you out for ice cream, and---"
"I am not some stupid two year old!" Iori snapped at the older boy. "Stop trying to us the ice cream bribe on me!"
"Gomen, gomen," Jyou apologized while waving his hands around with a nervous sweat drop. "I forgot how mature you are and how you aren't a baby." The boy then laughed a bit in nervousness for such an incompetent attempt to get Iori to open up.
"Just remember that!" Iori threatened, giving Jyou a hateful, icy stare.
"Um, yeah." Jyou ran his hand through his long, blue hair, trying to think of something else. "Now, why won't you let us look at your Digivice?"
"My master wouldn't allow it," he stated simply.
"Master?" every asked.
****
"Iori's grandfather knows about Digimon and about his D-3?"
"Now why would you think that, Daisuke-kun?" Hikari asked.
"Well, he is a Martial Arts Master," Daisuke pointed out. "Isn't that what he's talking about?"
"I don't think he's talking about his grandfather," Takeru muttered while staring over at Iori, lots of different thoughts running throughout his mind. 'The Powers of Darkness; it's definitely playing some kind of a role here, but how?'
"Then who else could he be talking about?" Daisuke asked. "I know he's not talking about the Digimon Kaiser."
'Or could he,' Takeru wondered in thought.
"True, but I don't think it's his grandfather," Hikari replied to Daisuke's
comment.
****
"I'm sure that your behavior is connected to your Digivice!" Koushirou
insisted, growing a bit agitated over Iori's behavior. He wasn't
used of such disobedience. He then firmly demanded, as if a parent
to a child, his hand outstretched, "Let me check it out, Iori-kun!"
"What part of no do you not understand!!" Iori yelled as he smacked the redhead's hand away, his anger rising.
"Iori, you leave me no choice!"
Everyone stared as they saw what Koushirou did next, which showed how determined Koushirou was to get Iori's D-3 away from him. He charged after Iori and tried to take his Digivice away by force.
Iori just smirked at Koushirou's attempt and moved out of the way, causing the computer whiz to nearly trip over, and to run past him. Iori then took this opportunity to elbow the boy violently in the center of his back.
This caused Koushirou to fall to the ground, holding the part of his back where Iori had hit him.
Koushirou stood up, looked over at Iori, his teeth gritted due to the pain he was currently in. Koushirou's eyes widened when he saw what he was doing next, Iori's eyes still currently lifeless. He picked up a nearby smooth stick, gave Koushirou a wicked look, and screamed out as he ran towards him. The boy swung the stick like he had with his bamboo sword (Shinnai) plenty of times when in his training Kendo sessions with his grandfather.
Even though the stick wasn't big or tough looking, Iori's swings were brutal and strong. Koushirou screamed for him to stop after every hit Iori applied to him as he instinctively tried to cover himself to protect himself from the hits. He yelped out in pain every time he was struck, Iori laughing manically the entire time.
Iori applied a blow to Koushirou's stomach, which caused the boy to bend over in pain, coughing a bit. Iori then applied one last blow to the head, which caused Koushirou to give out one more painful scream.
Koushirou tried to remain standing, still trying to reach for the Digivice, "Io-ri-kun..." but his own strength failed him, as he slowly fell to his knees, and then to the ground.
The encounter between Koushirou and Iori only lasted for a matter of mere seconds to those witnessing, since Iori was very fast and agile when applying his hits, but to Koushirou, it seemed like an entire lifetime.
"IORI!!!"
Iori just stood there, looking down at the now, slightly immobile Koushirou, smiling proudly at what he had done, both Tentomon and Mimi rushing to his side.
"That's what you get for trying to take my D-3," he mumbled to him as he kicked the older boy in the stomach.
The boy then felt a sharp pain in his head. He then held it in confusion, and sat himself on the ground, right beside Koushirou…