Chapter 17
Friends are sometimes boring, but enemies-never.
-Mason Cooley
After dinner Savannah took a plate of scraps to her room for Hissmon. She snapped on the light and saw him at the window, weaving to and fro like a swaying pendulum. His glowing red eyes reflected in the glass. "Hissmon?" she said, setting down the plate. "Are you okay?" He turned and hissed at her, and she froze. He was not himself when his eyes glowed. "It's me, Savannah," she said. "I brought you some dinner."
He hissed at her again, fangs exposed. "Sstay away. Perilous, perilous to approach, stay away."
She backed slowly toward the door, heart pounding. He had never threatened her before, not even in his red-eye moods. But before she reached the door, the glow left his eyes and he drooped with a long, hissing sigh. "Savannah!" he said. "Are you okay? Did I hurt you?"
"No," she said, keeping still. "You scared me."
"Sorry, sorry," he said, slithering to the floor and flowing up to her. "I don't know what's happening, it happens more and more." He reared up, tongue flickering anxiously, and she stooped down, feeling a little better.
"Are you schizophrenic?"
"What does that mean?" said the snake.
"It means you ... you have alternate personalities," she replied, reaching to stroke him, then hesitating.
"Perhaps I do. Perhaps--" He broke off and swiveled his head away as if ashamed. "Perhaps I shouldn't be your partner anymore."
"Don't say that!" said Savannah, stroking him at last. "Just--just don't do that anymore."
"Something happens," said Hissmon, flicking his tongue toward his dinner. "There's something in the Digital World that keeps grabbing ahold of me." He crawled toward the plate, and Savannah put it on the floor for him.
She sat and watched him eat. "Would you feel like fighting Hydramon?"
He froze and fixed an eye on her. "Hydramon? What do we want with him?"
"Zach thinks we need to take him out."
"He's a mega, if you didn't know."
"I know. Zach's afraid Hydramon will attack him again."
"Oh." Hissmon began eating and didn't speak for a while. Savannah watched him, wondering what triggered his aggressive mood swings.
"I'm going to get on the computer. Will you be okay?"
"Yes, of course," said the snake.
Savannah flicked on her computer and sat down in front of it, still glancing uneasily at her partner.
The two weeks before the 'battle weekend' crawled by. Tithonia visited Savannah and Zach, and had dinner with Savannah's family one evening when her mother worked late. Rick came around once, and wound up in a nerf-gun fight with Zach and Savannah, with their digimon trying to watch and keep out of sight at the same time. Rick promised to come again.
On the weekend before the 'big battle', Savannah went to the Digital World with her digivice, grid paper and a pencil. After copying down the weather map from her digivice ("Rain forecasted for tomorrow and the day after."), she returned to her room and began matching up the Digital World with Hilldale, trying to figure out where the nodes connected to the Real World.
She showed her findings to Zach at school the next day during lunch. Rick and Tithonia appeared a moment later. Rick gave Savannah's paper a glance, then went and sat with his buddies, but Tithonia sat with Zach and Savannah. "What have you got?"
Savannah slid her paper toward the younger girl. "This is a map of Hilldale verses the Digital World, and they're pretty close. Except over here there's mountains, and in the Digital World it's an ocean."
"Okay," said Tithonia. "What are these circles?"
"These are the ranges of the nodes," said Savannah, picking up her paper and showing Zach, who was busy eating. He nodded for her to go on. "We've only used the two southern nodes," Savannah went on, indicating Digiforum and Vinegarden. "If we went to north Hilldale and used a computer, it would set us down near Chipset, or maybe even further north. Anyway, it would save us a walk."
Zach looked at her map. Their school was located in the forest near Digiforum. He would be sitting in the woods in the Digital World, if he could see it. It was an odd feeling.
"There's an Internet cafe up here," said Tithonia, pointing to the northern areas of the map. "We used to live up there, and I went to the cafe a lot."
"Good," said Zach. "We can all go up there this weekend."
"Maybe," muttered Savannah. When they looked at her, she said, "We haven't been attacked since Thrashmon, and I feel like we're underestimating Hydramon. What if this is all a trap?"
"How could they know?" said Zach. "We've hardly been in the Digital World since Thrashmon--there's no way the viruses could know what we're planning."
Savannah pushed her tray aside. "Still, we should be careful."
"Sure," said Tithonia. "We should always be careful. See you guys, I have physics." She made a face and departed.
Zach leaned close to Savannah. "Are you trying to scare us? Because it won't work."
"No," she muttered, toying with her fork. "I just think it'll be harder than we think to kill this guy."
But the first part of the plan went well. Saturday arrived, and Zach told his mother he was spending the weekend with friends. Suddenly he longed to tell her the truth and explain all about digimon, but he knew she wouldn't understand. Instead he gave her a hug and went to his room to pack.
Spikemon was under the bed, and pounced on Zach's feet as he walked by. Zach jumped, and Spikemon laughed.
"You creep," said Zach, looking under his bed. "Come out, we're leaving soon."
Spikemon obediently wriggled out and jumped up on the bed. "I just can't wait to fight someone! It's boring hanging out in your room."
"Just be careful," said Zach. He bucked Chamelemon's shield generator around his waist and pulled his shirt down over it. "There, all set. I wish the others had one of these."
"It wouldn't work for them," said Spikemon, flopping on his belly. "None of them believe it'd work."
Zach looked at him. "What?"
"It's a faith shield," said Spikemon, looking bored. "You have to believe in it for it to work. That's why it doesn't cover your back, because when you use the shield you're not supposed to retreat."
"Oh." Zach thought about this as he loaded his backpack. "Does it work in the real world?"
"I don't know, try it."
Zach flipped on his belt pack, and nothing happened. "I guess not."
"It'll work if you believe it works," said Spikemon. "I never wanted one--I like offense, not defense."
"What if defense is your only weapon?" said Zach. "I have that new level, you know."
"You're a human," said Spikemon. "You weren't meant for fighting against digimon."
"Too bad the kid who died in the Digital World didn't have one."
Spikemon didn't answer, but he looked thoughtful.
The ride up to north Hilldale went smoothly. Zach and Savannah met Rick and Tithonia at the little Internet cafe, which was all but empty. It was the work of three minutes to find a computer screen and open a digiport.
That was where things began to go wrong.
They entered the Digital World on the top of a low cliff overlooking the sea. The sky was overcast, turning the sea black, and a cold wind bit into their clothes. The Digidestined had only seen the Digital World's good weather, and it was a shock to see it in the midst of a storm.
Spikemon pointed along the coast and said, "That's Conch Rock." Towering into the cloudy sky was a perfect replica of a conch shell made of stone, its curved lip open to the wind and long points protruding like horns. As the wind blew over its mouth, it made a deep, mournful trumpet sound. Every time it sounded, Zach's heart began to race. He had never heard anything so frightening.
They received another shock as they began walking toward the rock. The ground was littered with small round things Zach thought were stones until Rick swore. "Look at these! Who did this?" Zach, Savannah and Tithonia looked around, and their four digimon panicked.
The ground was littered with the bodies and broken eggs of young digimon. Their liquid eyes were lifeless, and fur and feathers fluttered in the wind. But they had not dissolved into data.
Savannah realized the implications of this first. She whipped out her digivice and pressed buttons. "Digiport unavailable," she whispered. She looked at the others. "The node's blocked or something. These digimon can't regenerate, and we can't get home."
"But how could we get here?" said Tithonia, turning white and gripping Mulemon's short mane.
"You can't block them, silly," said Frogmon, who was the calmest of the group. "You can block input, but not output. We can get in fine, we just can't get out."
"So what do we do?" said Rick.
"Go on," said Zach, clenching his teeth to keep them from chattering. "It's what we came to do, right?" He turned his head. "You guys hear something?"
"Yeah," said Tithonia. "There's a crab on the beach down there waving to us."
"Oh, that's a Crabmon," said Hissmon. He had slithered into the shelter of a large stone to escape from the wind. "He's a data type."
"I'll go!" exclaimed Spikemon, who couldn't wait to get away from the dead digimon. He plunged down the cliff in a shower of dirt and a moment later was talking to the crab. Then he turned and beckoned with a paw.
"It's okay," said Zach. "Let's go."
The cliffs blocked the wind, and they could hear the roar of the surf. The Crabmon was about five feet long and very nervous. "Get down, come close!" he called, waving his pinchers. "You'll be seen up there!" When the Digidestined had come close, he said, "We've been waiting for you. Are you going to retake our home from Him?"
"Hydramon?" said Zach. "Yes, we've come to stop him."
"Come with me," said the crab, and scuttled sideways to the base of the cliffs. He twisted a stick of driftwood, and a door opened in the cliff. He beckoned for them to enter, and stood guard until they were all inside.
Inside was a cave with a pool of water inside. Light filtered in through the pool and illuminated the cave with dim blue. Aside from Crabmon, there were three lobsters inside who would have looked fierce had they not been so frightened. They crawled away from the Digidestined and huddled against the far wall, antennae twitching. The Crabmon looked around the cave as if he expected it to collapse. "They've found us once before," he muttered. "Can't afford to have it happen again. Chamelemon?"
The orange lizard walked out of a tunnel mouth, carrying Base. He was a shadow of his former self--his skin hung in limp folds over his skeleton, and his eyes were sunken.
"Okay," said Spikemon, "if you don't have DCP, what do you have?"
"Mind your own business," snapped Chamelemon.
On his shoulder, the baseball bat said, "He's really sick, you guys. Valiant, but sick. Hey Zach, how's my man?"
"Good," said Zach, although he was feeling worse with every passing moment. The atmosphere of terror in the cave was contagious.
"There's a passage back here," said Chamelemon. "It leads into the stronghold, and it's too small for Hydramon and his lackeys to go through. Have you got your digivices?"
The Digidestined nodded.
"Good," said Chamelemon, "because Hydramon does, too. Follow me." He padded into the shadows, and the group followed.
"What do you mean he has a digivice?" whispered Tithonia.
"He does," said Chamelemon over his shoulder. "Remember the one that was stolen? He had it set to block the node, which means he won't die, ever. Quiet now, sounds carry."
They crept along, and the walls narrowed until they could touch them on either side. The stone was beaded with moisture, and the sand underfoot was damp. They walked for ten minutes, shuffling, bumping into each other, and keeping tabs on their digimon. The digimon sniffed and peered ahead, trying to see through the darkness. After a while they heard the muffled moaning of the Conch Rock. They were coming up on it from inside.
They saw a blue-green light up ahead, and a moment later came to a large cavern with an enormous glowing crystal in the ceiling. The walls were a marbled green, and softened by years of flowing water. At the far end of the cave was another passage spiraling upwards like a wormhole in the stone. Their footsteps echoed.
"Quiet," said Chamelemon, halting. His skin changed to the green of the room. "Stay here," he whispered. "Something's not right." The room was empty, but the lizard began to creep around its perimeter, keeping close to the wall. The Digidestined watched him.
Frogmon hopped close to Rick's ankle. "There is something wrong," he whispered.
Rick bent down. "What is it? Tripwires or something?"
Frogmon's bulging eyes roamed the cave. "I don't know. There is an enemy here, but..."
Spikemon moved up, followed by Mulemon. "You smell it, too?" he murmured to Frogmon.
"Yes," said Mulemon, ears twitching. "This room, it's wrong. Look at the stalactites on the ceiling. See how those two are cut in the middle and continue further down?"
The three gazed at the ceiling.
"I see it," whispered Frogmon. "Hang back, all of you. Rick and I will handle it."
"What?" whispered Rick.
"Call Chamelemon back," said Frogmon, "and digivolve me, quick."
Nearby, Savannah was checking her digivice, and suddenly breathed an exclamation. "Oh my gosh. It's huge!"
Rick jammed his data stick into his digivice, and at the same time yelled, "Chamelemon, get back here, now!" His voice echoed off the cavern walls, and Frogmon was enveloped in the glowing sphere of a digivolve. At the same time, the cavern in front of them rippled, and they realized that it was filled with an enormous digimon who had been invisible. But it was not Hydramon.
It was a scorpion the size of a semi truck, and its shimmering exoskeleton bent the light into blue and green flecks. Each of its eight legs ended in a sharp blade, its pinchers were like enormous scissors, and its arched tail had a giant shining lance on the tip.
Chamelemon doubled back and ran toward them, and the scorpion lashed its tail at him, striking the rock with a terrific clang. The other Digidestined reached for their data sticks, but Frogmon, now transformed to Bullfrogmon, commanded in a booming voice, "Stay back! This battle is for Rick and I alone!"
The others looked at him and Rick, then backed into the tunnel mouth, looking dubious. Rick looked at his partner. "It is?"
Bullfrogmon looked the same as Frogmon, but had three fins on his back, and two curled horns on his head. This made him look comical, but Rick wasn't laughing. "Go on then, attack him."
The frog hopped toward the scorpion, which again lashed its tail at the fleeing Chamelemon. Chamelemon shrieked, tumbled to one side, and kept running.
"Hey you," called Bullfrogmon, "why don't you pick on a digimon your own level?" Scorpionmon peered down at him with close-set insect eyes as Chamelemon dove into the tunnel with the Digidestined. "You're only a champion, frog," said the scorpion through the clicking of its mandibles. "How do you think you'll win a battle with me?"
"Simple strategy," said Bullfrogmon. "Pressure Geyser!" He thumped the rock three times with his back feet. At once there was a rumbling sound, and the stone beneath Scorpionmon broken open. A jet of boiling water blasted up underneath him and scorched his tender abdomen.
"Whoa," breathed Rick, watching. He had never seen Bullfrogmon's attacks, and was still wondering how a champion could defeat an ultimate.
Bullfrogmon seemed to read his thoughts. "He's desert and I'm marsh. He doesn't like water. Look out!"
Rick dodged to one side as Scorpionmon's bladed tail struck the floor where he had been standing. Scorpionmon's belly was burned, and he was furious. He crawled toward them, his metal feet making a racket on the stone floor, his pincher-claws open. He slashed at Rick to force him back, then whirled on Bullfrogmon. "I'm going to kill you first!"
Rick found himself behind Scorpionmon, out of sight of his partner. He glanced toward the others. "Throw me the bat!" he hollered. There was a brief scuffle, and then Zach flung Base toward him. The bat bounced once, and then Rick caught it and gripped the handle.
"Hey there," said Base. "Ever play baseball?"
"A little," said Rick. "Any advice?"
"Swing low," said Base. "His sensitive belly is even more sensitive right now."
Rick ducked under the scorpion's tail and aimed a blow at the spot where one of the back legs joined to the body. There was a snap and the leg curled up, the prism of the exoskeleton dimming. Rick dodged out. "Bullfrogmon!"
Scorpionmon turned to face Rick, green slime dripping from his four jaws. "Maybe I should worry about you, human." He swept out a claw and pinned Rick to the wall with the back of a pincher.
"Ooo, this is bad," said Base, still in Rick's fist.
"Frogmon!" Rick wailed as the scorpion raised its other pincher with its deadly blades. He saw Bullfrogmon hop into view, looking small and tame beside the monstrous bug. Bullfrogmon squatted on the floor and closed his eyes.
"Wake up and help me!" Rick yelled as Scorpionmon swiped at his head and missed.
"He can't help you," growled Scorpionmon, his body pulsing air into himself. "He's only a champion."
For some reason Rick thought of the stricken look on Zach's face the day Rick had made fun of his dinosaur drawing. He now knew how that felt, except there was no one to help Zach. Weaker people could not fight back. Their only weapon was their perseverance.
As if he had read his mind, Base said, "He can't hurt you from this angle, he's too awkward. Wait."
Rick waited, his heart thundering against the tough, plastic-like claw that held him pinned. Why did Bullfrogmon just sit there? Had he given up? Persevere. Wait. Something will happen. The situation will change--
Bullfrogmon sprang straight up in the air and cried, "Antivirus Quarantine!"
The world spun. Rick struck the floor and lay with his hands over his head as the cave spun out of control and a hot wind whipped his body. He heard shouts from the other Digidestined and a triumphant yell from Bullfrogmon, and then everything stopped. Slowly Rick lifted his head.
Where Scorpionmon had been was now an in-training digimon with a spike on its head, fastened to the ground by three iron clamps. Beside it lay Frogmon, once more in rookie form, his legs splayed out. Rick jumped up and ran to him. The frog rolled an eye at him.
"You took him out!" exclaimed Rick, staring. "That was, wow, that was really, I mean--"
"All digimon have a one-hit knockout attack," whimpered the frog, "but they're only supposed to use them in mega. I think I hurt myself."
The other Digidestined ran up and praised Rick and Frogmon, and gazed at what had been Scorpionmon, fastened to the floor. "I'll get you for this!" the former monster was snarling in a shrill voice. "And if I can't get you, Hydramon will! Just you wait! He'll eat you all! Ha ha!"
Hissmon looked at the in-training, and his eyes flashed red. The little digimon cowered and fell silent.
"Go on ahead," said Rick, kneeling beside his flattened partner. "I'll come on when he can walk again. Here, take the bat." He handed the baseball bat to Chamelemon, who smiled shyly.
Zach, Savannah and Tithonia looked at him, then slowly nodded. "If you hear a fight, hurry up," said Savannah. "We need the team together."
Rick nodded and didn't reply. The rest of the Digidestined crossed the now-empty cavern and climbed the ascending tunnel on the far side.