Starcatcher: Here we go. The next chapter.
EA: And we got more reviews! Thanks everyone!
Starcatcher: Now we had a bit of a problem getting this chapter out.
EA: The problem being that we weren't sure exactly how we should write it.
Starcatcher: But as you can see, that's fixed now.
EA: (Sighs sadly) We don't own Digimon. (Begins crying)
Davis: There, there...(Hugs EA, patting her on the back)
Kari: (Glares)
EA: (Smirks)
Davis: (Doesn't notice)
Kari: (Fumes)
EA: (Sticks out tongue)
Kari: (Mutters death threats under her breath)
EA: (Flips off Kari)
Kari: (Pulls out sword)
EA: (Looks a bit worried)
Kari: (Advances on EA, cackling evilly)
EA: (Runs)
Kari: (Chases her)
Davis: (Stares)
Starcatcher: (Starts fic)
********************
"Wow..." Tenshi breathed. "That was pretty freaky. How are your hands?"
Davis formed a fist with each hand. "Just fine, considering."
She shook her head. "I can't even begin to imagine...walking for hours on end on a somewhat injured leg, not having slept for almost two days, nearly getting killed in a cave in only to get a digimental that nearly burns your hands off...then having to walk for several more hours just to be tricked into thinking your partner died."
Veemon snickered. "Actually, it was pretty funny."
"For you maybe...I'M the one who went through the whole ordeal. You just stayed at Gennai's house, scarfing down ice cream the whole time."
At that, Veemon's eyes glazed over and he began drooling slightly. "And what a wonderful time that was..."
Davis shook his head. "I was just glad we made it through that okay. Fortunately, for some strange reason my leg had healed rather quickly. My hands were still burned, but they weren't as bad. I'm thinking it had something to do with us being in the Digital World. At the start of our adventures, Kari's ankle was injured trying to get away from a controlled Monochromon, but it was just fine minutes later."
"Or maybe she was just faking it." Veemon muttered. A look from Davis made him shut his mouth though.
"So what happened next?" Tenshi inquired.
"Well..."
####################
'I hate my life...I really, really hate my life...'
Yes, yes, you're probably wondering 'what now'? Veemon and Davis were kneeling behind some bushes in the cover of the forest as they found themselves staring at a rather large and not very pleasant looking facility. Even though it was surrounded by trees and it was still midday, the area seemed completely desolate and...well...to be blunt, dead. There were high walls surrounding the seemingly small building, and a wide space, sort of a courtyard, in which many Digimon could be seen. It was hard to tell just from looking at the place itself that the prison was in fact, much MUCH larger than it first appeared, mainly because most of it was underground. Through the doors led the way to the cells in which the Digimon were kept when they weren't working. Outside, there was an opening in the ground that led to the tunnels in which the captured Digimon were forced to constantly mine the ore which made up the dark rings and control spires.
Needless to say, it was terrible. The captured Digimon there weren't even under the control of the dark rings. In fact, very few were. The guards were comprised of Digimon who had decided to work under the Dark Masters willingly, and it looked as though they were better off for it. The prisoners were mostly rookies though there were a few champions and perhaps even an ultimate. One would think that since there were more prisoners than guards, they could just break out at any time, however, they looked sickly. They obviously weren't well fed, nor did they appear to get as much sleep as they needed, leaving them in a weakened state so that they wouldn't have the strength to oppose their captors, who were not only cowards, but cruel and malicious as well. Clubs and whips were at their disposal, and it was obvious that they used them frequently. It wasn't only that the conditions were horrible, but also the fact that the ore itself contained, in some strange way, a sort of poison that made the Digimon weaker, which led to the deletion of several prisoners each day.
Yes, some tried to retaliate, but those who did were often sent to the lowest level of the mines, deep underground, where the most ore could be found. There was no mercy on that level. Digimon sent to the deepest parts of the mine did not come back...or if they did, they didn't return the same way they were before. And the fear of that fate, including the lack of faith that they would ever be free, caused the Digimon to work quietly, obey all commands, and never attempt to fight back. Many gave up completely and succumbed to despair, becoming more like machines and only continued following the same routine day after day. There were still some, however, who believed that their nightmare would end, and it was these few, given strength by this belief, who usually lasted longer than others. Yet eventually, they too began to give up on ever being free.
"Are you two really gonna go through with it?" Came a voice. Looking behind them, they saw two figures emerge from the bushes, revealing themselves to be the Koromon they had helped before and the Gotsumon who was so distrustful of them. The Koromon stared up at them, looking a little worried...maybe even afraid. Yes, all the Digimon knew what happened in those prisons. Even the youngest, and the Dark Masters don't make exceptions...except for the strongest, who are most often put under the control of the dark rings...assuming they live long enough. Gotsumon glanced over at the facility and shuddered.
Davis frowned, then shrugged. At least they weren't afraid or distrustful of them anymore. It was kinda sweet actually. Snapping back to reality, he shook his head and turned back to face the same dreary looking building they were spying on before. "We have to. It's the right thing."
Veemon groaned, though quietly so that they couldn't be heard by the extremely big and scary guards positioned around the base. "Why do we always have to do the right thing? Can't we just do the SAFE thing and NOT go in there?"
"Oh come on. You don't mean that, do you Veemon?"
The blue dragon sighed. "No. I know we have to go in, but I think the problem will be getting OUT."
Gotsumon rolled his eyes. "It's impossible! No one is crazy enough to actually GO in there! It's suicide!"
"Maybe...but we've gotta try!" Davis stated.
Koromon smiled. "You'll make it! I know you will!"
"Nice to know SOMEONE thinks we can pull this off..." Davis muttered, remembering what happened earlier.
~~~~~*FLASHBACK!!!*~~~~~
"WHAT!?!"
Gennai sighed. Fortunately, Davis had forgotten about wanting to kill him for the stunt he and Gatomon pulled, but now there was another problem. "You're going on your first mission." It had been a couple of days since the incident and now they had both been called by Gennai and informed that they were to be sent on a potentially dangerous, but certainly not life-threatening (yeah right) mission.
Davis groaned. "Oh come on! I just got back from the 'Cave That Never Ends', and now you expect me to go on some mission when I'm still recovering from the last one?"
"Actually...it was two." Veemon stated.
The goggled boy rolled his eyes. "Okay, two."
Sighing once again, Gennai took his mind away from his current project and attempted to get the boy to see reason. "But we don't have time to waste. Besides, you DID say you wanted to help..."
"Me and my big mouth..." Davis sighed, giving in. "Okay, what is it then?"
Gennai cleared his throat before starting. "One of our undercover members has been captured and taken to one of the Digimon Prison Camps, or DPC's, where the Digimon are forced to mine for the stones the Dark Masters use to make the dark rings and control spires."
"Huh...I always wondered where they came from..." Veeemon mentioned aloud.
"He happens to hold some information we need, not to mention that if it's discovered he's one of the resistance members, they'll try to force him to reveal our weaknesses. He's been a good friend and ally to us and we can't just leave him there." Gatomon explained since Gennai had gone back to tinkering with Davis's D-3 and D-terminal.
Davis nodded. "I see. So Veemon and I are gonna sneak in and break him out."
Veemon jumped up. "Oh! Oh! Will this be like one of those spy movies where Davis and I have secret identities and we break into the base using a bunch of high-tech stuff with the lasers and the guns and the kick-ass cars and the evil villain with the cat and the 'do you expect me to talk' and the 'no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die' and we escape with the prisoners and the base blows up in a firey explosion with the 'BOOOOOOM!!!'?" Amazing how he said it all in one breath.
They all just stared at him. Davis turned to the others and grinned sheepishly. "Uh...heh, heh...let 'im watch a few too many spy movies..." Everyone just shrugged.
"Finished!" Gennai stated, holding up Davis's Digivice and D-Terminal. "Now you're all set with a map of the new terrain. The location of the base is already there for you, and once you get inside, it should give a rough blueprint of the inside of the base, as well as in what area our member is being held."
"Don't worry, guys. We'll get him out of there and back in one piece." Davis stated as he rose to his feet and headed out the door as Gennai and Gatomon waved, Leomon nodded, and Veemon gave a sort of salute. A second later, Davis stomped back into the room and grabbed Veemon. "You're coming too!"
"Aw dangit..." Veemon whined as he was dragged along.
"Hey, you have no reason to complain!"
"Yes I do! I nearly died a few days ago!"
"And I nearly died trying to rescue you, only I didn't get to have any food or peaceful night's sleep!"
"Heh, heh...oh yeah..." And with that, they were out of earshot.
About a minute after the two left, Gatomon turned to the other two in the room. Deep down, she tried to keep being optimistic. Sure it wasn't her style, but it was times like this that they needed to remain hopeful, no matter how bad the situation appeared. The arrival of this new Digidestined and Digimon had helped them to believe that maybe there was a chance they could win. "Think they'll make it?"
"It'd take a miracle." Gennai answered.
Gee...what confidence...
~~~~~*END FLASHBACK!!!*~~~~~
Davis stood, still hiding behind one of the trees and keeping out of sight of the base. "Well...this is it then..." He stated, pulling his goggles down over his eyes instead of on his head like he normally did. He didn't notice, but the lens had darkened in a way that prevented others from seeing through, though he could see just fine. Sort of like a one-sided mirror.
"Um...question?" Veemon raised his hand, gaining their attention.
"What?"
"Just HOW are we gonna get in there anyway?"
There was a moment of silence as Davis just stood there, while the other three stared at him, wondering what his plan was. "Actually..." Davis smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I have absolutely no idea." They fell over in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe we're actually doing this..."
"Quiet! They'll hear you!"
So what plan did they decide on to sneak into the prison? They came up with several ideas. Veemon's involved Davis pretending to be Tai coming there on a routine check. However, there was the problem that the real Tai or any of the other kids could happen to come along and they'll be caught in the act. Plus the fact that though Davis did look similar to Tai, he was a few years younger and didn't know how Tai has changed so whether or not his acting would convince the guards was questionable.
Barging right in was a definite out. They were completely outnumbered and just didn't have enough power to take on all the guards on their own. Davis even thought of trying to go under the camp and sneak in from beneath the ground, but that would have taken too much time and they didn't know where in the camp they would actually wind up in.
An hour passed with no plan of action. Then something happened which could only be considered as some sort of divine intervention. It just so happened that a couple of guards slacking off out of sight of their superiors let slip near the group's location that a shipment of supplies was due to arrive that day. Of course this was just before one of the Meramon showed up and chewed them out for sneaking off. Once all three were gone, Davis and Veemon turned and grinned at each other. What happened next was sheer brilliance.
Okay, so what if Davis saw it in a movie? It still worked. Heading back through the trees and nearly out of sight of the base, they found a rather poorly made dirt road. In fact, at first glance, they wouldn't have even known it was a road at all. And along came the rickety cart being drawn by a Monochromon which would be their passage to hell. With a well placed headbutt on Veemon's part, a tree went crashing to the ground right in the path of the cart, bringing it to a halt.
The driver, a Pumpkinmon, cursed his luck. Truthfully, he hated his job. He hated the fact that he had to supply the greedy cowards who turned over their own friends to the Dark Masters with food that the prisoners wouldn't be getting, no matter how much more they needed it than the guards did. The only reason he was even in this position was because a friend of his was in that camp, and this was the only way to ensure he lived. And to think...they actually helped two of those kids all those years ago. He sighed, trying to shove the tree to the side with the help of the Monochromon. Neither noticed the two figures sneak onto the cart. Finally clearing the road after several curses and insults, they were back on the road again.
There you have it. Davis and Veemon hiding in a cart being taken into a prison. Sound cliche? That's okay. Originality wasn't really an issue here. Just whether or not it worked mattered. They felt they were going to go insane from the anticipation before they ever even got there, but they held out and kept quiet untill finally, the cart pulled to a stop right in front of the huge iron gates leading to the prison.
"Hello again Pumpkinmon." The guard, a Bakumon, greeted, though not in a very nice way.
"Just let me through." Pumpkinmon demanded.
"Fine, fine, but first things first...gotta check the cart. Standard procedure."
Davis and Veemon gulped, but before they had the chance to move, the Bakumon was already behind the cart. He pushed aside the curtain, peered inside the cart, and gasped. Davis closed his eyes, praying to whatever higher being is watching over them that they somehow get out of this alive. The guard smirked, sinisterly, and pulled the whistle around his neck to his lips. A shrill cry echoed throughout the area...
And the gates opened.
"Go on through. Heh, can't wait to try Digitamamon's new dish!" Bakumon exclaimed, licking his lips in anticipation.
Once they were past the gates, the two heaved a small sigh of relief. But they weren't in the clear yet. Pumpkinmon hurried the cart through the courtyard, not wanting to have to look at any of the prisoners there. He felt in a way, that he had betrayed them by helping the Dark Masters. Soon, they were inside the building itself and the cart continued down the pathway that began to slope downward as they continued until they reached a large room that served as a sort of storage area. Finally stopping the cart, Pumpkinmon sighed. "Time to check in with the warden." He muttered darkly as he exited. A few minutes passed without a sound till finally...
*THUD!*
"Owww..." Davis groaned, rubbing his head where it hit the ground after his grip finally gave out and he fell from beneath the cart.
"Davish! You okay?" Veemon questioned after hopping out of the cart, rubbing his arms which were sore from holding himself onto the ceiling of the cart and out of view.
"Just peachy." The boy grumbled, rising to his feet.
"So where to now?"
Davis pulled out his D-3 and found the map that Gennai had downloaded onto it. "As Izzy would say: Prodigious!"
Veemon stared. "So where do we go?"
"We're in the storage area right now...so the cells are on the next level. The elevator is down the hall." He stole a quick glance into the hall and found it momentarily empty. "If we're gonna go, now would be the best time."
Keeping low and against the wall, they rushed towards the elevator and within minutes were on their way to the level below listening to the elevator music play. It would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened, revealing a sorry sight.
Cells...no, more like cages. Rows and rows of them along the walls. They were rather small, leaving little room for the prisoners to move. Worse yet was that several of them held at least two or three Digimon in one cage. They didn't speak. They didn't move. It was hard to tell if any of them were even alive. Veemon looked around, saddened at the sense of despair and horrified that anyone could be this cruel. Davis was mad. No, not just mad. He was pissed to the point that he wanted to punch something. He had always been a big believer in doing what's right...and this was definitely not right! Just the thought that anyone could do this to living creatures made him sick. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be angry. They still had a Digimon to rescue.
All the prisoners were asleep, trying to get as much rest as they could before they would be called out again, so none of them noticed Davis and Veemon. "He should be somewhere on this level. I'll go get him and you stay here and stand guard in case anyone comes." Davis whispered.
Veemon nodded. "Be careful."
"Aren't I always?" Davis grinned as the blue dragon rolled his eyes. Chuckling softly, Davis made his way down the hall, following the miniature map in his hand. Though he tried not to, he couldn't help but glance at the Digimon trapped in the rows and rows of cages. Barely moving, barely breathing, they looked ready to die. He knew he had to help them.
"Who are you?" Questioned a voice. Davis turned to see that one of the prisoners wasn't like the others. This one was backed up against the corner of his cell, cloaked in darkness, making it near impossible to distinguish any features. Davis gulped as the figure leaned forward a bit to get a better look, revealing itself to be an Impmon. "You're one of the humans!" He spat. "What are ya doing down here? Are ya here to mock us?"
Davis shook his head and held his hands out in front of him in a non-threatening manner. "No! I'm a human, but I'm not with the Dark Masters! I'm here to--"
"Hah! Sure...of course you're with the Dark Masters. You have to be. They're the only humans in this world."
"Not anymore."
"Oh sure...fine then, Mr. 'I'm not like them', then just why are ya here?"
"I'm here to help. Gennai sent me."
"Yeah right...this just sounds more pathetic as it continues. Go on...get out of here and leave us to die."
"No! I'm not leaving! I can't let down Gatomon or the others!" Davis exclaimed, nearly shouting due to frustration.
"Gatomon? Do you know Gatomon?" Came a softer and nicer voice on the opposite side.
Davis turned to face the other one who had spoken and nodded. "Yes, I know Gatomon. Are you with the rebels?"
The Digimon nodded. Davis could have sworn he was smiling, though it was hard to tell because his face below his eyes was covered by the cuff of his cloak. He was a bit shorter than Davis, but he wore a hat that resembled a black mage's from any of the final fanatsy games, making him appear much taller. He looked very familiar, however Davis just couldn't place where he had seen this guy before. But this must be the guy he and Veemon were there to rescue. The symbol on the Digivice blinked, showing that they had found their objective. "Yes, I'm with the resistance. My name is Wizardmon."
That's when it hit him. Wizardmon! Davis hadn't known the guy himself, but he had seen him once before when his ghost gave Gatomon a message about the future fight with Ken when he was still the Digimon Emperor. This guy was best friends with Gatomon, and died to protect Kari. Yet here he was...alive. As if things couldn't get any stranger.
Davis shook his head. No time to waste on that now. "I'm gonna get you out of here."
Impmon laughed loudly. "Fat chance. The doors can't be opened without the key."
"Where's the key?" Davis demanded.
"On the guards, duh. Really, are you that big of a moron?" He taunted.
Sending a glare at the annoying Digimon, Davis headed back the way he came. "I'll be back with the key!"
"I wouldn't hold my breath." Impmon muttered.
Wizardmon sighed, worriedly. 'Please let them be okay.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Far away, deep in a forest on the continent of Server, a small Digimon made his way through the underbrush. There used to be all different sorts of Digimon in that forest...but as each day went by, more and more were taken by the Dark Masters and either put under the control of the dark rings, or are forced to work in the camps. Eventually, the Digimon who were left decided to leave the once safe forest in search of a place where they could hide from the terror of the Dark Masters and weren't seen since. This lone Digimon, however, remained in the forest that was its home.
Why didn't it go with the others? No one could say for sure. It's not that they didn't allow it to come with them. They asked it, even pleaded with it to leave with them, yet it refused. Not finding any way to convince it otherwise, they disappeared without a trace and the lone Digimon stayed behind in the forest. If they did manage to find a hiding place where they could be safe from the Dark Masters and their army, it would probably never know. It simply lived out its days collecting food to survive and keeping out of sight of the numerous soldiers and controlled Digimon that constantly intruded upon the forest.
Yet they stopped coming nowadays. Apparently, they feared the forest and the so-called 'ghosts' that were said to inhabit that area. It smiled. Maybe that really was all it was now. Just a spirit, refusing to move on in an attempt to keep a promise that most likely had been long forgotten. The smile faded. Why didn't he come back?
It's been such a long time...for years it waited, refusing to leave on the belief that he would return one day. Yet he never came. Why? They were such good friends. Did he hate it now? Did he forget? Was he even still alive? The small Digimon sighed. A promise was a promise. It wouldn't leave. So many times it thought of going on a journey to search for its friend, but each time decided against it, worried of what would happen if his friend finally arrived only to find it gone.
'Where are you?' The Digimon wondered, looking up at the different shapes of the clouds in the sky and remembered a time when it didn't have to watch them alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Veemon sighed. This sucked...this really, really sucked. Just when the fighting was finally over, they were dragged into another situation. They didn't have to be here...they weren't supposed to be here. If Gennai was right, this isn't their world, this is a completely different reality. So why were they getting involved?
He sighed again, knowing the answer. It's because they couldn't just ignore those in need. Not just Davis, but himself as well. It was against their nature. Neither of them believed in sacrificing the few to save the many. That's why they were so against the possibility that they would have to destroy the older Digidestined. They wanted to save everybody. But Veemon couldn't help but wonder...would they be able to this time?
"Hey Veemon!"
He turned around and smiled when he saw Davis. "Did you find him?"
Davis nodded, gesturing behind him. "He's back there, but we need the key."
"We can just knock out a guard and get the key. Then we can rescue the member and get the hell out of here!"
Davis shook his head. "What about all the other Digimon? We can't just leave them here!"
Veemon groaned. He knew Davis better than he knew himself and therefore knew what was coming. "Don't tell me...you're going to say that we should save them."
"Of course!"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ME!!!"
"Quiet Veemon!" Davis whispered harshly, but it was too late. Barely a few seconds later, the guards arrived and had them completely surrounded. Davis sent Veemon a glare, while the blue dragon Digimon laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh...heh heh...oops?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Theresnoplacelikehometheresnoplacelikehometheresnoplacelikehome..."
"Veemon, would you knock it off already? That didn't work the first hundred times you did it, and all you're doing is giving me a headache..." Davis stated. The two were currently holed up in a cell next to Wizardmon's. This cell was apparently made to hold a champion, and was therefore, much bigger. Davis suspected that they were both in there because the guards weren't sure how to handle him since he was a human. On the other side of the long stretch of cages, Impmon laughed at them. It was really annoying, but they just ignored him and he eventually got tired and shut up.
The little blue dragon rolled his eyes in response. "Well excuse me..."
"There's still a chance we could get out of here...like maybe plan #5?" Davis wondered.
"It's no use! We're doomed! DOOMED!"
Davis narrowed his eyes at his partner. "Hey, this is your fault you know."
"My fault? How is this MY fault?"
"If you had just kept your mouth shut..."
"Hey, I'm not the one who said we had to save everyone! We could have just left after we found Wizardmon, but nooooo, you had to be the big hero. Now we're stuck here as well thanks to you!"
"You'd still be stuck under a rock all alone if it weren't for me!"
"WELL IT'S BETTER THAN BEING TRAPPED IN A CELL WITH YOU!"
"After all I did for you...THIS is the thanks I get?"
"WHAT!?! All you ever did was stand at the sidelines where it's safe while I risked my life! Then when it's all over, you acted like you actually DID something useful!"
"HEY! I gave you food, a home, and my friendship! I wouldn't have even been anywhere NEAR those battles if I didn't get involved with you! Really, why the hell did I agree to join in the first place!?!"
"I've been wondering the same thing Mr. Clueless! You can't even go five minutes without embarassing yourself!"
"THIS coming from a little blue midget! I'd like to see you last ONE DAY without me!"
"Maybe this isn't the best time..." Wizardmon was a little worried, but could you blame him? His so-called rescuers were fighting amongst themselves. Yep...at this rate, he was never getting out of here.
Impmon on the other hand, laughed. "Eh, let 'em kill each other. At least there'll be something worth seeing before we all go to that big recycle bin in the sky."
"YOU'RE JUST A LOUD-MOUTH BRAINLESS MORON WHOSE ONLY USE WOULD BE SMASHING ROCKS WITH YOUR BIG HEAD!" Veemon shouted, jumping to his feet and pushing Davis.
Davis, not going to take this, pushed back harder. "AT LEAST I DON'T SUCK MY THUMB LIKE A CERTAIN SOMEONE WHO CAN'T EVEN BOIL WATER WITHOUT BLOWING SOMETHING UP!"
"THAT'S IT!" He rammed Davis into the wall. The boy glared and jumped too his feet, tackling Veemon, or at least trying to considering the limited amount of room they had to move in the cage. The end result was a full blown fight loud enough to gain the attention of the other inmates and leave them staring.
"Please stop this! You're supposed to be partners! You shouldn't be fighting each other!" Wizardmon cried.
"KEEP OUT OF THIS!" Both shouted before returning to their scuffle. They were causing such a scene that a couple of guards arrived less than a minute later to break them up. The RedVeggimon took out the keys and quickly opened the cell door, though it appeared that neither of the two combatants were listening.
"All right! Stop it, the both of you!" The other guard, a Gazimon, ordered, trying to force them apart. However, they didn't notice the smirk that suddenly formed on Davis's face till...
*WHAM!*
*POW!*
Less than a minute later, the two guards were on the ground, knocked out with swirlies for eyes. Taking the keys out of the hand of one of the guards, Davis grinned. "Heh...knew it'd work."
Impmon stared. "You...PLANNED that?"
He nodded. "Yep. It was the best way I think of to get us out of here. We just had to pretend we were mad at each other."
Veemon blinked. "You were pretending?"
Davis fell over. "What!?!" He pulled himself back to his feet, sending a 'look' at Veemon. The blue Digimon laughed sheepishly, and Davis only sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. Come on! We've still gotta free everyone!"
"Roger, roger!"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Alone, a teenage girl sat on her bed in the darkened apartment, staring at the object on the other side of the room. Her parents weren't there, being too busy working. They never seemed to have time for her anymore. Of course she knew why...it haunted her too. The incident occured years ago and it still stuck with them. Maybe being with her reminded her parents too much of what they lost.
She was only sixteen, but she felt so much older. She closed her eyes, remembering life how it used to be. She was more friendly and outgoing then, not to mention a bit hyper, but always happy. And now...she was quiet...depressed...sluggish. She just wasn't herself anymore. Her friends tried to help her, but it's been years and no change, so many finally gave up and left her to wallow in depression. The few true friends she had still stuck by her, so at least she wasn't completely alone. She smiled, thinking of how much they meant to her. No, it was very unlikely she would have even made it this far without them.
Sighing, she laid on her back on the bed, the thoughts of days long past filled her mind as she continued to recall the few happy times she had. How she and her friends used to hang out at the mall trying to look cool like the high school kids. How her family would spend the weekends together, doing all sorts of different activities. How he would always smile at her after...
Her eyes snapped open. Him. Why, of all people, did it have to happen to him? He was such a good person...he didn't deserve such an early end...
She sat up, her gaze once more falling on the strange object sitting on her desk. Why did it come to her? She wasn't worthy of handling such power, but still...if it came to her...there must be a reason. She thought back to a few days earlier, remembering the strange boy she had seen walking down the street. It just wasn't possible, but he looked just like he probably would have if he had lived. But was it really him? Did he actually survive that day somehow? If so, why didn't he ever let them know?
She groaned. Something was definitely going on here. Sending another look at the object on her desk next to her computer, she smiled. At least this time, she'll be able to do something and won't just have to stand by like she did that day. Speaking of which...
The clock read 4 p.m. She smiled, half-heartedly. Only eight more hours to go. Wonder if they'll remember this year? With a shrug, she stood and left the room, closing the door behind her. In the dark quiet of the enclosed space, the screen on the violet object she had been staring at glowed and a strange symbol formed. Just as suddenly as it came, the light disappeared, leaving the room in total darkness once more.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Somewhere...
"Hey guys, look at this!" One of the eight figures exclaimed. He turned to face the others, frowing. What? You want details? Fine, fine. He had spikey dark red hair, and inquisitive brown eyes that held much intelligence. He wore an outfit similar to Geo from Magic Knights Rayearth, including the headgear, with which the cables were attached to a computer, allowing him to access what information he needed without being near the keyboard.
Another stepped forward into the light of the screen. He wore a suit similar to the Digimon Emperor's, only instead of a leotard, he also wore armor much like that of Lafarga from MKR, only the armor was orange-red and the cape and pants were black. His hair was a dark brown, and looked like a bird's nest could be made out of it. He was the fighter. He was the leader.
He was Tai.
Tai glanced over the computer screen, his brown, almost black eyes gleaming in the pale light. "What have we here, Izzy? An escape attempt?"
Izzy nodded, the wires bobbing behind him. "Two of the guards are down. Several more are on their way. It looks like they were tricked when two of the prisoners began fighting. Heh, what fools." His eyes widened in shock as he read over a new piece of information. "It can't be!"
"What is it?" Questioned a female. Tai turned and smiled at her. Sora...only not the same one Davis once knew. If he saw her now, he'd probably freak. No longer the same good-hearted girl, Sora was a warrior now. She even wore armor, much like that of Rikku as a Warrior in FFX-2.
Izzy turned to face the two. "There's a human in there!"
"So? It's probably just TK or Matt." Sora scoffed.
"No, this human is freeing them." With a few commands, a window on the screen opened, showing a shot of a human male directing escaping Digimon past the guards and to freedom. Who it was, they couldn't tell. For one thing, they didn't know Davis in this time, and for another, he was wearing his goggles, which safely covered his eyes and somehow prevented them from getting an exact fix on his face.
"Huh...so there's another Digidestined..." Tai thought aloud, then shrugged and turned away as though it were no big deal. "He must be new then...he should be easily taken out. Send TK in there."
Izzy nodded. "He's on his way."
Sora smiled at Tai. "The poor fool...just like we used to be."
Tai laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "Lets see if he really does have what it takes to be a Digidestined."
********************
Starcatcher: That's it for Part 1 of Operation Rescue.
EA: Guess what? We've got a pool now!
Starcatcher: No we don't.
EA: We don't? But it says right here there's a pool!
Starcatcher: That's a typo. It's a poll.
EA: Oh...crud.
Poll 1: Should the Digidestined gain special powers/abilities?
Poll 2: Should we allow the use of different types of digivolution like Biomerging or Spirit evolution?
Poll 3: Should the old Dark Masters from Season 1 be revived?
Starcatcher: That's it then.
EA: Here's a little topic of interest...requests. Any people you'd like to see brought in? Any attacks or abilities you want to see used? Anything in particular you would like to see happen? Just ask and you shall recieve.
Starcatcher: But no asking to kill off Davis or make this a Takari.
EA: Yeah! This will be DAIKARI...except for that one bit with...
Starcatcher: EA, I'm warning you...
EA: (Smiles innocently)
Davis: Review please!
EA: Flame please!
(Pause...)
Everyone: (Stare)
EA: Seriously! We need a fire going here...a nice strong blaze. (Evil grin)
(Pan out to reveal TK tied to a spit over a pile of dry wood.)
TK: No flames! NO FLAMES!!!
EA: (Shoves an apple into TK's mouth) He doesn't mean it. FLAME! FLAME US NOW!!!
Starcatcher: (Stares, then smacks forehead) Oy vey...
EA: And we got more reviews! Thanks everyone!
Starcatcher: Now we had a bit of a problem getting this chapter out.
EA: The problem being that we weren't sure exactly how we should write it.
Starcatcher: But as you can see, that's fixed now.
EA: (Sighs sadly) We don't own Digimon. (Begins crying)
Davis: There, there...(Hugs EA, patting her on the back)
Kari: (Glares)
EA: (Smirks)
Davis: (Doesn't notice)
Kari: (Fumes)
EA: (Sticks out tongue)
Kari: (Mutters death threats under her breath)
EA: (Flips off Kari)
Kari: (Pulls out sword)
EA: (Looks a bit worried)
Kari: (Advances on EA, cackling evilly)
EA: (Runs)
Kari: (Chases her)
Davis: (Stares)
Starcatcher: (Starts fic)
********************
"Wow..." Tenshi breathed. "That was pretty freaky. How are your hands?"
Davis formed a fist with each hand. "Just fine, considering."
She shook her head. "I can't even begin to imagine...walking for hours on end on a somewhat injured leg, not having slept for almost two days, nearly getting killed in a cave in only to get a digimental that nearly burns your hands off...then having to walk for several more hours just to be tricked into thinking your partner died."
Veemon snickered. "Actually, it was pretty funny."
"For you maybe...I'M the one who went through the whole ordeal. You just stayed at Gennai's house, scarfing down ice cream the whole time."
At that, Veemon's eyes glazed over and he began drooling slightly. "And what a wonderful time that was..."
Davis shook his head. "I was just glad we made it through that okay. Fortunately, for some strange reason my leg had healed rather quickly. My hands were still burned, but they weren't as bad. I'm thinking it had something to do with us being in the Digital World. At the start of our adventures, Kari's ankle was injured trying to get away from a controlled Monochromon, but it was just fine minutes later."
"Or maybe she was just faking it." Veemon muttered. A look from Davis made him shut his mouth though.
"So what happened next?" Tenshi inquired.
"Well..."
####################
'I hate my life...I really, really hate my life...'
Yes, yes, you're probably wondering 'what now'? Veemon and Davis were kneeling behind some bushes in the cover of the forest as they found themselves staring at a rather large and not very pleasant looking facility. Even though it was surrounded by trees and it was still midday, the area seemed completely desolate and...well...to be blunt, dead. There were high walls surrounding the seemingly small building, and a wide space, sort of a courtyard, in which many Digimon could be seen. It was hard to tell just from looking at the place itself that the prison was in fact, much MUCH larger than it first appeared, mainly because most of it was underground. Through the doors led the way to the cells in which the Digimon were kept when they weren't working. Outside, there was an opening in the ground that led to the tunnels in which the captured Digimon were forced to constantly mine the ore which made up the dark rings and control spires.
Needless to say, it was terrible. The captured Digimon there weren't even under the control of the dark rings. In fact, very few were. The guards were comprised of Digimon who had decided to work under the Dark Masters willingly, and it looked as though they were better off for it. The prisoners were mostly rookies though there were a few champions and perhaps even an ultimate. One would think that since there were more prisoners than guards, they could just break out at any time, however, they looked sickly. They obviously weren't well fed, nor did they appear to get as much sleep as they needed, leaving them in a weakened state so that they wouldn't have the strength to oppose their captors, who were not only cowards, but cruel and malicious as well. Clubs and whips were at their disposal, and it was obvious that they used them frequently. It wasn't only that the conditions were horrible, but also the fact that the ore itself contained, in some strange way, a sort of poison that made the Digimon weaker, which led to the deletion of several prisoners each day.
Yes, some tried to retaliate, but those who did were often sent to the lowest level of the mines, deep underground, where the most ore could be found. There was no mercy on that level. Digimon sent to the deepest parts of the mine did not come back...or if they did, they didn't return the same way they were before. And the fear of that fate, including the lack of faith that they would ever be free, caused the Digimon to work quietly, obey all commands, and never attempt to fight back. Many gave up completely and succumbed to despair, becoming more like machines and only continued following the same routine day after day. There were still some, however, who believed that their nightmare would end, and it was these few, given strength by this belief, who usually lasted longer than others. Yet eventually, they too began to give up on ever being free.
"Are you two really gonna go through with it?" Came a voice. Looking behind them, they saw two figures emerge from the bushes, revealing themselves to be the Koromon they had helped before and the Gotsumon who was so distrustful of them. The Koromon stared up at them, looking a little worried...maybe even afraid. Yes, all the Digimon knew what happened in those prisons. Even the youngest, and the Dark Masters don't make exceptions...except for the strongest, who are most often put under the control of the dark rings...assuming they live long enough. Gotsumon glanced over at the facility and shuddered.
Davis frowned, then shrugged. At least they weren't afraid or distrustful of them anymore. It was kinda sweet actually. Snapping back to reality, he shook his head and turned back to face the same dreary looking building they were spying on before. "We have to. It's the right thing."
Veemon groaned, though quietly so that they couldn't be heard by the extremely big and scary guards positioned around the base. "Why do we always have to do the right thing? Can't we just do the SAFE thing and NOT go in there?"
"Oh come on. You don't mean that, do you Veemon?"
The blue dragon sighed. "No. I know we have to go in, but I think the problem will be getting OUT."
Gotsumon rolled his eyes. "It's impossible! No one is crazy enough to actually GO in there! It's suicide!"
"Maybe...but we've gotta try!" Davis stated.
Koromon smiled. "You'll make it! I know you will!"
"Nice to know SOMEONE thinks we can pull this off..." Davis muttered, remembering what happened earlier.
~~~~~*FLASHBACK!!!*~~~~~
"WHAT!?!"
Gennai sighed. Fortunately, Davis had forgotten about wanting to kill him for the stunt he and Gatomon pulled, but now there was another problem. "You're going on your first mission." It had been a couple of days since the incident and now they had both been called by Gennai and informed that they were to be sent on a potentially dangerous, but certainly not life-threatening (yeah right) mission.
Davis groaned. "Oh come on! I just got back from the 'Cave That Never Ends', and now you expect me to go on some mission when I'm still recovering from the last one?"
"Actually...it was two." Veemon stated.
The goggled boy rolled his eyes. "Okay, two."
Sighing once again, Gennai took his mind away from his current project and attempted to get the boy to see reason. "But we don't have time to waste. Besides, you DID say you wanted to help..."
"Me and my big mouth..." Davis sighed, giving in. "Okay, what is it then?"
Gennai cleared his throat before starting. "One of our undercover members has been captured and taken to one of the Digimon Prison Camps, or DPC's, where the Digimon are forced to mine for the stones the Dark Masters use to make the dark rings and control spires."
"Huh...I always wondered where they came from..." Veeemon mentioned aloud.
"He happens to hold some information we need, not to mention that if it's discovered he's one of the resistance members, they'll try to force him to reveal our weaknesses. He's been a good friend and ally to us and we can't just leave him there." Gatomon explained since Gennai had gone back to tinkering with Davis's D-3 and D-terminal.
Davis nodded. "I see. So Veemon and I are gonna sneak in and break him out."
Veemon jumped up. "Oh! Oh! Will this be like one of those spy movies where Davis and I have secret identities and we break into the base using a bunch of high-tech stuff with the lasers and the guns and the kick-ass cars and the evil villain with the cat and the 'do you expect me to talk' and the 'no, Mr. Bond, I expect you to die' and we escape with the prisoners and the base blows up in a firey explosion with the 'BOOOOOOM!!!'?" Amazing how he said it all in one breath.
They all just stared at him. Davis turned to the others and grinned sheepishly. "Uh...heh, heh...let 'im watch a few too many spy movies..." Everyone just shrugged.
"Finished!" Gennai stated, holding up Davis's Digivice and D-Terminal. "Now you're all set with a map of the new terrain. The location of the base is already there for you, and once you get inside, it should give a rough blueprint of the inside of the base, as well as in what area our member is being held."
"Don't worry, guys. We'll get him out of there and back in one piece." Davis stated as he rose to his feet and headed out the door as Gennai and Gatomon waved, Leomon nodded, and Veemon gave a sort of salute. A second later, Davis stomped back into the room and grabbed Veemon. "You're coming too!"
"Aw dangit..." Veemon whined as he was dragged along.
"Hey, you have no reason to complain!"
"Yes I do! I nearly died a few days ago!"
"And I nearly died trying to rescue you, only I didn't get to have any food or peaceful night's sleep!"
"Heh, heh...oh yeah..." And with that, they were out of earshot.
About a minute after the two left, Gatomon turned to the other two in the room. Deep down, she tried to keep being optimistic. Sure it wasn't her style, but it was times like this that they needed to remain hopeful, no matter how bad the situation appeared. The arrival of this new Digidestined and Digimon had helped them to believe that maybe there was a chance they could win. "Think they'll make it?"
"It'd take a miracle." Gennai answered.
Gee...what confidence...
~~~~~*END FLASHBACK!!!*~~~~~
Davis stood, still hiding behind one of the trees and keeping out of sight of the base. "Well...this is it then..." He stated, pulling his goggles down over his eyes instead of on his head like he normally did. He didn't notice, but the lens had darkened in a way that prevented others from seeing through, though he could see just fine. Sort of like a one-sided mirror.
"Um...question?" Veemon raised his hand, gaining their attention.
"What?"
"Just HOW are we gonna get in there anyway?"
There was a moment of silence as Davis just stood there, while the other three stared at him, wondering what his plan was. "Actually..." Davis smiled sheepishly and rubbed the back of his head. "I have absolutely no idea." They fell over in shock.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"I can't believe we're actually doing this..."
"Quiet! They'll hear you!"
So what plan did they decide on to sneak into the prison? They came up with several ideas. Veemon's involved Davis pretending to be Tai coming there on a routine check. However, there was the problem that the real Tai or any of the other kids could happen to come along and they'll be caught in the act. Plus the fact that though Davis did look similar to Tai, he was a few years younger and didn't know how Tai has changed so whether or not his acting would convince the guards was questionable.
Barging right in was a definite out. They were completely outnumbered and just didn't have enough power to take on all the guards on their own. Davis even thought of trying to go under the camp and sneak in from beneath the ground, but that would have taken too much time and they didn't know where in the camp they would actually wind up in.
An hour passed with no plan of action. Then something happened which could only be considered as some sort of divine intervention. It just so happened that a couple of guards slacking off out of sight of their superiors let slip near the group's location that a shipment of supplies was due to arrive that day. Of course this was just before one of the Meramon showed up and chewed them out for sneaking off. Once all three were gone, Davis and Veemon turned and grinned at each other. What happened next was sheer brilliance.
Okay, so what if Davis saw it in a movie? It still worked. Heading back through the trees and nearly out of sight of the base, they found a rather poorly made dirt road. In fact, at first glance, they wouldn't have even known it was a road at all. And along came the rickety cart being drawn by a Monochromon which would be their passage to hell. With a well placed headbutt on Veemon's part, a tree went crashing to the ground right in the path of the cart, bringing it to a halt.
The driver, a Pumpkinmon, cursed his luck. Truthfully, he hated his job. He hated the fact that he had to supply the greedy cowards who turned over their own friends to the Dark Masters with food that the prisoners wouldn't be getting, no matter how much more they needed it than the guards did. The only reason he was even in this position was because a friend of his was in that camp, and this was the only way to ensure he lived. And to think...they actually helped two of those kids all those years ago. He sighed, trying to shove the tree to the side with the help of the Monochromon. Neither noticed the two figures sneak onto the cart. Finally clearing the road after several curses and insults, they were back on the road again.
There you have it. Davis and Veemon hiding in a cart being taken into a prison. Sound cliche? That's okay. Originality wasn't really an issue here. Just whether or not it worked mattered. They felt they were going to go insane from the anticipation before they ever even got there, but they held out and kept quiet untill finally, the cart pulled to a stop right in front of the huge iron gates leading to the prison.
"Hello again Pumpkinmon." The guard, a Bakumon, greeted, though not in a very nice way.
"Just let me through." Pumpkinmon demanded.
"Fine, fine, but first things first...gotta check the cart. Standard procedure."
Davis and Veemon gulped, but before they had the chance to move, the Bakumon was already behind the cart. He pushed aside the curtain, peered inside the cart, and gasped. Davis closed his eyes, praying to whatever higher being is watching over them that they somehow get out of this alive. The guard smirked, sinisterly, and pulled the whistle around his neck to his lips. A shrill cry echoed throughout the area...
And the gates opened.
"Go on through. Heh, can't wait to try Digitamamon's new dish!" Bakumon exclaimed, licking his lips in anticipation.
Once they were past the gates, the two heaved a small sigh of relief. But they weren't in the clear yet. Pumpkinmon hurried the cart through the courtyard, not wanting to have to look at any of the prisoners there. He felt in a way, that he had betrayed them by helping the Dark Masters. Soon, they were inside the building itself and the cart continued down the pathway that began to slope downward as they continued until they reached a large room that served as a sort of storage area. Finally stopping the cart, Pumpkinmon sighed. "Time to check in with the warden." He muttered darkly as he exited. A few minutes passed without a sound till finally...
*THUD!*
"Owww..." Davis groaned, rubbing his head where it hit the ground after his grip finally gave out and he fell from beneath the cart.
"Davish! You okay?" Veemon questioned after hopping out of the cart, rubbing his arms which were sore from holding himself onto the ceiling of the cart and out of view.
"Just peachy." The boy grumbled, rising to his feet.
"So where to now?"
Davis pulled out his D-3 and found the map that Gennai had downloaded onto it. "As Izzy would say: Prodigious!"
Veemon stared. "So where do we go?"
"We're in the storage area right now...so the cells are on the next level. The elevator is down the hall." He stole a quick glance into the hall and found it momentarily empty. "If we're gonna go, now would be the best time."
Keeping low and against the wall, they rushed towards the elevator and within minutes were on their way to the level below listening to the elevator music play. It would have been funny if the situation weren't so serious. After what seemed like an eternity, the doors opened, revealing a sorry sight.
Cells...no, more like cages. Rows and rows of them along the walls. They were rather small, leaving little room for the prisoners to move. Worse yet was that several of them held at least two or three Digimon in one cage. They didn't speak. They didn't move. It was hard to tell if any of them were even alive. Veemon looked around, saddened at the sense of despair and horrified that anyone could be this cruel. Davis was mad. No, not just mad. He was pissed to the point that he wanted to punch something. He had always been a big believer in doing what's right...and this was definitely not right! Just the thought that anyone could do this to living creatures made him sick. He shook his head. Now wasn't the time to be angry. They still had a Digimon to rescue.
All the prisoners were asleep, trying to get as much rest as they could before they would be called out again, so none of them noticed Davis and Veemon. "He should be somewhere on this level. I'll go get him and you stay here and stand guard in case anyone comes." Davis whispered.
Veemon nodded. "Be careful."
"Aren't I always?" Davis grinned as the blue dragon rolled his eyes. Chuckling softly, Davis made his way down the hall, following the miniature map in his hand. Though he tried not to, he couldn't help but glance at the Digimon trapped in the rows and rows of cages. Barely moving, barely breathing, they looked ready to die. He knew he had to help them.
"Who are you?" Questioned a voice. Davis turned to see that one of the prisoners wasn't like the others. This one was backed up against the corner of his cell, cloaked in darkness, making it near impossible to distinguish any features. Davis gulped as the figure leaned forward a bit to get a better look, revealing itself to be an Impmon. "You're one of the humans!" He spat. "What are ya doing down here? Are ya here to mock us?"
Davis shook his head and held his hands out in front of him in a non-threatening manner. "No! I'm a human, but I'm not with the Dark Masters! I'm here to--"
"Hah! Sure...of course you're with the Dark Masters. You have to be. They're the only humans in this world."
"Not anymore."
"Oh sure...fine then, Mr. 'I'm not like them', then just why are ya here?"
"I'm here to help. Gennai sent me."
"Yeah right...this just sounds more pathetic as it continues. Go on...get out of here and leave us to die."
"No! I'm not leaving! I can't let down Gatomon or the others!" Davis exclaimed, nearly shouting due to frustration.
"Gatomon? Do you know Gatomon?" Came a softer and nicer voice on the opposite side.
Davis turned to face the other one who had spoken and nodded. "Yes, I know Gatomon. Are you with the rebels?"
The Digimon nodded. Davis could have sworn he was smiling, though it was hard to tell because his face below his eyes was covered by the cuff of his cloak. He was a bit shorter than Davis, but he wore a hat that resembled a black mage's from any of the final fanatsy games, making him appear much taller. He looked very familiar, however Davis just couldn't place where he had seen this guy before. But this must be the guy he and Veemon were there to rescue. The symbol on the Digivice blinked, showing that they had found their objective. "Yes, I'm with the resistance. My name is Wizardmon."
That's when it hit him. Wizardmon! Davis hadn't known the guy himself, but he had seen him once before when his ghost gave Gatomon a message about the future fight with Ken when he was still the Digimon Emperor. This guy was best friends with Gatomon, and died to protect Kari. Yet here he was...alive. As if things couldn't get any stranger.
Davis shook his head. No time to waste on that now. "I'm gonna get you out of here."
Impmon laughed loudly. "Fat chance. The doors can't be opened without the key."
"Where's the key?" Davis demanded.
"On the guards, duh. Really, are you that big of a moron?" He taunted.
Sending a glare at the annoying Digimon, Davis headed back the way he came. "I'll be back with the key!"
"I wouldn't hold my breath." Impmon muttered.
Wizardmon sighed, worriedly. 'Please let them be okay.'
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Far away, deep in a forest on the continent of Server, a small Digimon made his way through the underbrush. There used to be all different sorts of Digimon in that forest...but as each day went by, more and more were taken by the Dark Masters and either put under the control of the dark rings, or are forced to work in the camps. Eventually, the Digimon who were left decided to leave the once safe forest in search of a place where they could hide from the terror of the Dark Masters and weren't seen since. This lone Digimon, however, remained in the forest that was its home.
Why didn't it go with the others? No one could say for sure. It's not that they didn't allow it to come with them. They asked it, even pleaded with it to leave with them, yet it refused. Not finding any way to convince it otherwise, they disappeared without a trace and the lone Digimon stayed behind in the forest. If they did manage to find a hiding place where they could be safe from the Dark Masters and their army, it would probably never know. It simply lived out its days collecting food to survive and keeping out of sight of the numerous soldiers and controlled Digimon that constantly intruded upon the forest.
Yet they stopped coming nowadays. Apparently, they feared the forest and the so-called 'ghosts' that were said to inhabit that area. It smiled. Maybe that really was all it was now. Just a spirit, refusing to move on in an attempt to keep a promise that most likely had been long forgotten. The smile faded. Why didn't he come back?
It's been such a long time...for years it waited, refusing to leave on the belief that he would return one day. Yet he never came. Why? They were such good friends. Did he hate it now? Did he forget? Was he even still alive? The small Digimon sighed. A promise was a promise. It wouldn't leave. So many times it thought of going on a journey to search for its friend, but each time decided against it, worried of what would happen if his friend finally arrived only to find it gone.
'Where are you?' The Digimon wondered, looking up at the different shapes of the clouds in the sky and remembered a time when it didn't have to watch them alone.
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
Veemon sighed. This sucked...this really, really sucked. Just when the fighting was finally over, they were dragged into another situation. They didn't have to be here...they weren't supposed to be here. If Gennai was right, this isn't their world, this is a completely different reality. So why were they getting involved?
He sighed again, knowing the answer. It's because they couldn't just ignore those in need. Not just Davis, but himself as well. It was against their nature. Neither of them believed in sacrificing the few to save the many. That's why they were so against the possibility that they would have to destroy the older Digidestined. They wanted to save everybody. But Veemon couldn't help but wonder...would they be able to this time?
"Hey Veemon!"
He turned around and smiled when he saw Davis. "Did you find him?"
Davis nodded, gesturing behind him. "He's back there, but we need the key."
"We can just knock out a guard and get the key. Then we can rescue the member and get the hell out of here!"
Davis shook his head. "What about all the other Digimon? We can't just leave them here!"
Veemon groaned. He knew Davis better than he knew himself and therefore knew what was coming. "Don't tell me...you're going to say that we should save them."
"Of course!"
"I TOLD YOU NOT TO TELL ME!!!"
"Quiet Veemon!" Davis whispered harshly, but it was too late. Barely a few seconds later, the guards arrived and had them completely surrounded. Davis sent Veemon a glare, while the blue dragon Digimon laughed sheepishly, rubbing the back of his head.
"Uh...heh heh...oops?"
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
"Theresnoplacelikehometheresnoplacelikehometheresnoplacelikehome..."
"Veemon, would you knock it off already? That didn't work the first hundred times you did it, and all you're doing is giving me a headache..." Davis stated. The two were currently holed up in a cell next to Wizardmon's. This cell was apparently made to hold a champion, and was therefore, much bigger. Davis suspected that they were both in there because the guards weren't sure how to handle him since he was a human. On the other side of the long stretch of cages, Impmon laughed at them. It was really annoying, but they just ignored him and he eventually got tired and shut up.
The little blue dragon rolled his eyes in response. "Well excuse me..."
"There's still a chance we could get out of here...like maybe plan #5?" Davis wondered.
"It's no use! We're doomed! DOOMED!"
Davis narrowed his eyes at his partner. "Hey, this is your fault you know."
"My fault? How is this MY fault?"
"If you had just kept your mouth shut..."
"Hey, I'm not the one who said we had to save everyone! We could have just left after we found Wizardmon, but nooooo, you had to be the big hero. Now we're stuck here as well thanks to you!"
"You'd still be stuck under a rock all alone if it weren't for me!"
"WELL IT'S BETTER THAN BEING TRAPPED IN A CELL WITH YOU!"
"After all I did for you...THIS is the thanks I get?"
"WHAT!?! All you ever did was stand at the sidelines where it's safe while I risked my life! Then when it's all over, you acted like you actually DID something useful!"
"HEY! I gave you food, a home, and my friendship! I wouldn't have even been anywhere NEAR those battles if I didn't get involved with you! Really, why the hell did I agree to join in the first place!?!"
"I've been wondering the same thing Mr. Clueless! You can't even go five minutes without embarassing yourself!"
"THIS coming from a little blue midget! I'd like to see you last ONE DAY without me!"
"Maybe this isn't the best time..." Wizardmon was a little worried, but could you blame him? His so-called rescuers were fighting amongst themselves. Yep...at this rate, he was never getting out of here.
Impmon on the other hand, laughed. "Eh, let 'em kill each other. At least there'll be something worth seeing before we all go to that big recycle bin in the sky."
"YOU'RE JUST A LOUD-MOUTH BRAINLESS MORON WHOSE ONLY USE WOULD BE SMASHING ROCKS WITH YOUR BIG HEAD!" Veemon shouted, jumping to his feet and pushing Davis.
Davis, not going to take this, pushed back harder. "AT LEAST I DON'T SUCK MY THUMB LIKE A CERTAIN SOMEONE WHO CAN'T EVEN BOIL WATER WITHOUT BLOWING SOMETHING UP!"
"THAT'S IT!" He rammed Davis into the wall. The boy glared and jumped too his feet, tackling Veemon, or at least trying to considering the limited amount of room they had to move in the cage. The end result was a full blown fight loud enough to gain the attention of the other inmates and leave them staring.
"Please stop this! You're supposed to be partners! You shouldn't be fighting each other!" Wizardmon cried.
"KEEP OUT OF THIS!" Both shouted before returning to their scuffle. They were causing such a scene that a couple of guards arrived less than a minute later to break them up. The RedVeggimon took out the keys and quickly opened the cell door, though it appeared that neither of the two combatants were listening.
"All right! Stop it, the both of you!" The other guard, a Gazimon, ordered, trying to force them apart. However, they didn't notice the smirk that suddenly formed on Davis's face till...
*WHAM!*
*POW!*
Less than a minute later, the two guards were on the ground, knocked out with swirlies for eyes. Taking the keys out of the hand of one of the guards, Davis grinned. "Heh...knew it'd work."
Impmon stared. "You...PLANNED that?"
He nodded. "Yep. It was the best way I think of to get us out of here. We just had to pretend we were mad at each other."
Veemon blinked. "You were pretending?"
Davis fell over. "What!?!" He pulled himself back to his feet, sending a 'look' at Veemon. The blue Digimon laughed sheepishly, and Davis only sighed and shook his head. "Forget it. Come on! We've still gotta free everyone!"
"Roger, roger!"
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Alone, a teenage girl sat on her bed in the darkened apartment, staring at the object on the other side of the room. Her parents weren't there, being too busy working. They never seemed to have time for her anymore. Of course she knew why...it haunted her too. The incident occured years ago and it still stuck with them. Maybe being with her reminded her parents too much of what they lost.
She was only sixteen, but she felt so much older. She closed her eyes, remembering life how it used to be. She was more friendly and outgoing then, not to mention a bit hyper, but always happy. And now...she was quiet...depressed...sluggish. She just wasn't herself anymore. Her friends tried to help her, but it's been years and no change, so many finally gave up and left her to wallow in depression. The few true friends she had still stuck by her, so at least she wasn't completely alone. She smiled, thinking of how much they meant to her. No, it was very unlikely she would have even made it this far without them.
Sighing, she laid on her back on the bed, the thoughts of days long past filled her mind as she continued to recall the few happy times she had. How she and her friends used to hang out at the mall trying to look cool like the high school kids. How her family would spend the weekends together, doing all sorts of different activities. How he would always smile at her after...
Her eyes snapped open. Him. Why, of all people, did it have to happen to him? He was such a good person...he didn't deserve such an early end...
She sat up, her gaze once more falling on the strange object sitting on her desk. Why did it come to her? She wasn't worthy of handling such power, but still...if it came to her...there must be a reason. She thought back to a few days earlier, remembering the strange boy she had seen walking down the street. It just wasn't possible, but he looked just like he probably would have if he had lived. But was it really him? Did he actually survive that day somehow? If so, why didn't he ever let them know?
She groaned. Something was definitely going on here. Sending another look at the object on her desk next to her computer, she smiled. At least this time, she'll be able to do something and won't just have to stand by like she did that day. Speaking of which...
The clock read 4 p.m. She smiled, half-heartedly. Only eight more hours to go. Wonder if they'll remember this year? With a shrug, she stood and left the room, closing the door behind her. In the dark quiet of the enclosed space, the screen on the violet object she had been staring at glowed and a strange symbol formed. Just as suddenly as it came, the light disappeared, leaving the room in total darkness once more.
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Somewhere...
"Hey guys, look at this!" One of the eight figures exclaimed. He turned to face the others, frowing. What? You want details? Fine, fine. He had spikey dark red hair, and inquisitive brown eyes that held much intelligence. He wore an outfit similar to Geo from Magic Knights Rayearth, including the headgear, with which the cables were attached to a computer, allowing him to access what information he needed without being near the keyboard.
Another stepped forward into the light of the screen. He wore a suit similar to the Digimon Emperor's, only instead of a leotard, he also wore armor much like that of Lafarga from MKR, only the armor was orange-red and the cape and pants were black. His hair was a dark brown, and looked like a bird's nest could be made out of it. He was the fighter. He was the leader.
He was Tai.
Tai glanced over the computer screen, his brown, almost black eyes gleaming in the pale light. "What have we here, Izzy? An escape attempt?"
Izzy nodded, the wires bobbing behind him. "Two of the guards are down. Several more are on their way. It looks like they were tricked when two of the prisoners began fighting. Heh, what fools." His eyes widened in shock as he read over a new piece of information. "It can't be!"
"What is it?" Questioned a female. Tai turned and smiled at her. Sora...only not the same one Davis once knew. If he saw her now, he'd probably freak. No longer the same good-hearted girl, Sora was a warrior now. She even wore armor, much like that of Rikku as a Warrior in FFX-2.
Izzy turned to face the two. "There's a human in there!"
"So? It's probably just TK or Matt." Sora scoffed.
"No, this human is freeing them." With a few commands, a window on the screen opened, showing a shot of a human male directing escaping Digimon past the guards and to freedom. Who it was, they couldn't tell. For one thing, they didn't know Davis in this time, and for another, he was wearing his goggles, which safely covered his eyes and somehow prevented them from getting an exact fix on his face.
"Huh...so there's another Digidestined..." Tai thought aloud, then shrugged and turned away as though it were no big deal. "He must be new then...he should be easily taken out. Send TK in there."
Izzy nodded. "He's on his way."
Sora smiled at Tai. "The poor fool...just like we used to be."
Tai laughed, wrapping his arms around her. "Lets see if he really does have what it takes to be a Digidestined."
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Starcatcher: That's it for Part 1 of Operation Rescue.
EA: Guess what? We've got a pool now!
Starcatcher: No we don't.
EA: We don't? But it says right here there's a pool!
Starcatcher: That's a typo. It's a poll.
EA: Oh...crud.
Poll 1: Should the Digidestined gain special powers/abilities?
Poll 2: Should we allow the use of different types of digivolution like Biomerging or Spirit evolution?
Poll 3: Should the old Dark Masters from Season 1 be revived?
Starcatcher: That's it then.
EA: Here's a little topic of interest...requests. Any people you'd like to see brought in? Any attacks or abilities you want to see used? Anything in particular you would like to see happen? Just ask and you shall recieve.
Starcatcher: But no asking to kill off Davis or make this a Takari.
EA: Yeah! This will be DAIKARI...except for that one bit with...
Starcatcher: EA, I'm warning you...
EA: (Smiles innocently)
Davis: Review please!
EA: Flame please!
(Pause...)
Everyone: (Stare)
EA: Seriously! We need a fire going here...a nice strong blaze. (Evil grin)
(Pan out to reveal TK tied to a spit over a pile of dry wood.)
TK: No flames! NO FLAMES!!!
EA: (Shoves an apple into TK's mouth) He doesn't mean it. FLAME! FLAME US NOW!!!
Starcatcher: (Stares, then smacks forehead) Oy vey...