Nameless person:
I'm Canadian and we have a lot of problems with spelling. Canada was originally a British colony, so we should be using British spellings. However, our closeness to the US causes us to use US spellings for some words and British for others. It's a big problem.
By the way, a SAM is a Surface to Air Missile.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy
By: RB3
Chapter 6: Cherubimon's Retaliation
"AAAAHHHHH!" screamed Suzie and Lopmon in terror.
Both Tamer and Digimon were in a dangerous free fall to the ground. The jet copter's chassis was scorched black from enemy fire. Suzie could hear a rapidly approaching swoosh, followed by a deafening explosion. When it was over, Suzie could see three more people fall out of the copter. Several yellow energy blasts struck the copter, shaking the passengers within. It was descending at a dangerously fast pace into the distant desert.
Suzie and Lopmon caught a lucky break for once. They fell into what turned out to be a body of water. Suzie swam up to the surface and popped her head out of the water, followed by Lopmon. She looked around and found herself in the middle of what looked like a basin. A massive faucet hung high above the surface of the water. Suzie recognized this place as being a sink like the ones in her apartment, only this one was big enough for giants to use. The sink was surrounded by palm trees, and there was a fenced catwalk way built onto the side.
"Is anybody up there?" called Suzie.
The face of a cat peered over the edge. "How did you get down there?" she asked. "Wait a sec." The cat disappeared briefly before lowering a rope into the water.
Suzie and Lopmon climbed up. "Lillith, I'm happy to see you!" exclaimed Suzie, until she remarked the cat's white fur. "When did you get white fur?"
"Who's Lillith?" asked the cat. "I'm Gatomon. I run the local inn here in Pelche Oasis. I always have white fur."
"She's the regular kind of Gatomon, which has white fur. Lillith's actually a Black Gatomon and has black fur," noted Lopmon.
"Who are you two, and how did you get into the water?" asked Gatomon.
"I'm Suzie and this is Lopmon. We were in this helicopter and these bad people shot us and we fell out," replied Suzie.
"So it looks like you're lost," mumbled Gatomon. "Like I said, you're in Pelche Oasis. I run the inn here."
"Henwy will be worried. We have to find him!" said Suzie.
"Suzie, we don't know our way around the desert," warned Lopmon. "We shouldn't go wandering or we'll get lost. It's better that we stay here and let our friends find us."
"Why don't you stay at my inn while you wait?" asked Gatomon. "Do you have any money?"
"No," replied Suzie sadly.
"Hmmm... Tell you what. I'll let you stay here for free until your friends find you. How about that?" offered Gatomon.
"Really? You're such a nice kitty!"
Gatomon led Suzie and Lopmon through a nearby door and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom was an underground lobby. A fireplace was at the right, and there was a bear skin rug and two sofas near it. The walls were made of wood and covered with a coat of gloss. Across the room was a wooden reception desk with a door to the right. The desk was very small compared to Suzie's large height and was clearly meant for use by Gatomon.
Gatomon handed Suzie the keys to her room. "Here are the keys to room four. It's the fourth door on right in the next hallway."
"Thank you! Okay Lopmon, let's see our room!" said Suzie cheerfully.
Suzie found her room without any problems and stepped inside to see a cozy place. The bed had smooth white sheets, a fluffy pillow, and felt nice and soft to the touch. There was a cabinet with a rich brown finish meant for storing clothes. Suzie only had the clothes on her back, so it was of little use to her. Beside the entry door was a desk for studying and reading. The bathroom had everything necessary for good hygiene, including a sink, bathtub, and toilet. Suzie treated the whole situation as though she was on a big vacation by herself.
Eventually, she took a rest on her bed, and felt a deep sense of emptiness. "Henwy, where are you?"
"Cheer up, Suzie," said Lopmon comfortingly. "I'm sure the others are looking for us right now."
"I hope so too. I'm so lonely."
Suzie rested for over an hour, unaware of a humvee approaching Pelche Oasis. A pair of Digimon materialized on the sand. The first was a tyrannosaur with black skin, and red markings that almost looked like slash marks. This Digimon was the Champion level Dark Tyrannomon. The second was also a tyrannosaur, but had grey skin. Tubes ran over this Digimon's body, and led into cybernetic implants. This Digimon was Metal Tyrannomon, a possible Ultimate form of Dark Tyrannomon.
After their Digimon secured the area, the driver and his passenger got out of their vehicle. They were a pair of men dressed in khaki military uniforms. They were an intimidating pair of men with an assault rifle slung over their shoulder. They were very intent on finding something. They entered the inn's lobby and scanned around, but failed to see their quarry. The driver bent down and loudly rang the bell on the front desk several times.
"We want to talk to you, get in here!" he demanded.
A different Gatomon walked out of the door. "What's the matter?"
"We're here to ask about a little girl who came this way," replied the soldier. "She's about six or seven years old and of Asian descent."
The Gatomon owner spotted the soldiers through an opening in the door, and ran to Suzie's room in haste. "Suzie! There are soldiers looking for you in the lobby!"
Suzie bolted upright. "The bad people found me! We have to run!"
"Quick! Follow me! I know a way out of here."
****************************************
Meanwhile, Akira fell onto the peak of a sand dune in Noise Desert. He tumbled downward painfully and sand got into his clothes. "Ow! I never knew hitting a dune of sand could hurt so much..." Akira began to rub his injured back.
A pair of screams approached the ground before the impact silenced them. "I thought sand was supposed to be soft!" grumbled Darkfryer.
Akira checked up on the condition of his Digimon. "You two okay?"
Lillith leapt onto Akira's body and began to nuzzle him. "I'm fine, darling!"
"I'm glad that you're okay..." said Akira uncomfortably.
"Where are we?" asked Darkfryer.
Akira pulled out his Browser and cross checked his location. "We're somewhere in the middle of Noise Desert, east of Byakko City."
"Where do we go now?" asked Lillith.
Akira pulled up a map of the region on his Browser. "Well, according to this map, the nearest places are Byakko City, Pelche Oasis, and the Dum Dum Factory."
"How about the oasis?" asked Darkfryer. "We could get some rest there before heading out to the factory."
"Sounds like a plan," remarked Akira. "Let's do it!"
****************************************
Gatomon pushed a secret door open, and everyone stepped out. They found themselves at the side of a mountain at the edge of some badlands. Pelche Oasis was a short distance behind them, and they could see two Digimon occupying the area. They were huge tyrannosaurs, and looked very mean with their sharp, jagged teeth. From the way they behaved, they were on lookout for something or someone.
"Where do we go now?" asked Suzie with concern.
"Go to the Dum Dum Factory up north," answered Gatomon. "The Digimon there might be able to help you." Gatomon pointed towards a pathway through a valley a few metres from their current position.
"Thank you, but will you be safe with those bad people here?"
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. You just get to the factory."
"Thank you Gatomon!"
"Stay safe!" said Lopmon.
"Take care!" called Gatomon.
Suzie remembered what the Guard Tamers told her to do when she was in the out in the field. She flicked on her exoskeleton as protection should she be attacked by enemies. Lopmon and Suzie walked down the pathway for at least an hour. Everywhere they turned, there was only rock and nothing more. They began to wonder if they were making any progress at all. They proceeded down a narrow pathway flanked on both sides by rock formations.
Lopmon suddenly sensed danger approaching. "Suzie, watch out!"
Lopmon tackled Suzie out of the path of a beam of energy. It blew down part of the side wall and initiated an avalanche. The two cleared the area safely, but found their way forward had been blocked. A Digimon descended from above and behind, and trapped Suzie and Lopmon in the middle. This offending Digimon was a black, bat-like demon with a single yellow eye on its face. It opened its talons to reveal a single eye on both of its palms. The grotesque Digimon, Deathmon, was intent on stopping their advance.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Deathmon
Type: Virus
Level: Mega
Element: Darkness
Deathmon is a powerful demon lord mutated by the dark energy he wields. His eyes are not just for seeing, but are also his greatest weapons.
Attacks:
Death Arrow - Deathmon's palm eyes can shoot violet, arrow-shaped bolts of piercing negative energy.
Explosion Eye - Deathmon's central eye is an emitter of powerful beams of energy. Once a beam strikes an object, it results in a devastating explosion.
"That Digimon looks very dangerous," remarked Suzie.
Lopmon stepped forward in defence of her Tamer. "Don't worry Suzie! I'll get him!"
Suzie pulled out a card and slashed it through her D-Power. "Digimodify! Digivolution activate!"
Immediately, Lopmon felt a surge of power coursing through her body. "Lopmon, Digivolve to... Turuiemon!"
In a flash of light, Lopmon was replaced by her Champion form, Turuiemon. She launched herself at Deathmon with a katar ready to strike. Deathmon caught her wrist and smashed her with his free hand. The blow was so powerful that it launched Turuiemon back into the rock pile. Suzie was shocked at how powerful Deathmon was. He didn't even use a special attack, and Turuiemon was already down. Suzie was dearly concerned for the welfare of her best friend.
"Bah, too easy," grumbled Deathmon.
Turuiemon got up, not willing to give up so soon. "I need to become Antylamon to fight this Digimon."
Suzie nodded and slashed a card she received from Ryo Akiyama as a gift. "Digimodify! Radiant Faith activate!"
A new, even greater power surged through Turuiemon's body. "Turuiemon, Matrix Digivolve to... Antylamon!"
In a flash of golden light, Turuiemon ascended to her Ultimate form of Antylamon. Like her previous form, Lopmon, Antylamon was a rabbit with chocolate fur. She was huge in height, and many times taller than Lopmon ever was. She wore white armour with gold trimmings as a form of chest protection, and a pair of baggy violet pants. Her long arms stretched all the way to her knees, giving her a great reach advantage in a melee situation. She would need it to take on a powerful foe like Deathmon.
Antylamon's hands changed into the blades of an axe as she activated her Bunny Blades ability. She charged at Deathmon, slashing and twirling in a deadly dance. Deathmon attempted to block the attacks, but Antylamon was much stronger than Turuiemon ever was. He was forced to give ground for the first time in this battle. A missed slash struck a stone formation, cleaving a massive groove into the rock. One slash managed to penetrate his defence, bumping him backwards with minimal damage. Deathmon decided to fly away to set up for a counter attack.
Antylamon attempted to cut off the retreat, but Deathmon evaded and made it to safety in the air. Antylamon was now at a tactical disadvantage. His eye glowed amber as he charged up energy for an Explosion Eye attack. She moved her blades to shield her body, and braced for the inevitable impact. A beam of amber energy streamed forth and exploded upon striking Antylamon. It overpowered her despite her best efforts, and caused her to revert back to being Lopmon.
"Antylamon no!" cried Suzie, realizing the gravity of her situation.
She held onto the injured Lopmon tightly to comfort her. Lopmon had suffered severe injuries and couldn't continue. Suzie remembered having a submachine gun. Out of desperation, she decided to fight back, and fired a seemingly endless hail of energy bullets at Deathmon. To her horror, the gun had no effect on the Demon Lord Digimon. He simply continued advancing, unfazed by Suzie's heroic gesture.
He knocked the gun out of her hand, and shoved Suzie onto the ground. He aimed the eye on his palm directly at Suzie and Lopmon, and it cast a violet glow. Deathmon was ready to deliver the finishing blow. Normally, Suzie and Lopmon would be returned to a crypt elsewhere in the game world if they died. Unfortunately, this fail-safe didn't apply to them. They didn't count as players since they didn't use the Online Centre to enter the game. Upon remembering this, Suzie was terrified and began crying.
"You win! You win!" said Suzie between sobs. "Leave us alone!"
"I would, but you are an enemy of the AoA, and must be eliminated!" said Deathmon. Do you two have any last words?"
"Suzie, before we die, I want you to know that you're the best friend I ever had," confessed Lopmon. "I'm glad we were together until the very end!"
"How touching," said Deathmon sarcastically. "I suppose you have some last words too, little girl?"
"Lopmon you're my best friend too!" said Suzie.
In response to their admission of friendship, Suzie and Lopmon's body shined with golden light. "Biomerge activate!"
Suzie shut her eyes as the Digivolutionary energy vaporized her clothes and joined her with Lopmon. "Lopmon, Biomerge to..."
Lightning from dark storm clouds overhead bombarded the land. A heavenly light pierced the clouds, and cast a circle of gold on the ground. The thunder and lightning suddenly stopped, and a celestial creature descended from the heavens. Her body was surrounded by an aura of warm pink light. This celestial creature was a rabbit with fur as pink as cotton candy.
Around her neck was a shawl with jutting points like that of jester's. The rings of gold on her ears shined with divine brilliance in the sunlight. She touched down on the ground and summoned the power of the storm. At the call of their mistress, bolts of lightning lit the darkness. One struck her hand and formed a makeshift spear. As her final act, she raised her spear upwards in a triumphant stance.
"Cherubimon!"
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Cherbuimon
Type: Vaccine
Level: Mega
Element: Holy/Lightning
Cherubimon, Ophanimon, and Seraphimon, make up the trinity of angelic Megas. She uses her holy and lightning powers to smite the followers of evil.
Attacks:
Holy Hug - Cherubimon entraps a foe within a halo of golden light. This attack is versatile, being able to incapacitate or destroy the victim.
Lightning Spear - Cherubimon calls forth a lightning bolt with this ability. It is used much like a spear or javelin.
Storm of Judgement - Cherubimon raises her hands to the heavens and calls upon a storm to bombard an area.
Suzie opened her eyes to gaze upon the world as Cherubimon. "I'm a giant bunny now?"
"We became one together!" proclaimed Lopmon's voice.
Deathmon fired an Explosion Eye, which Cherubimon leapt over. "You missed me! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!" mocked Suzie, as Cherubimon began making faces at her foe.
He was infuriated and began to fire several Death Arrows at Cherubimon. With several booms, each attack exploded behind her as she bounced off the rock formations. She made her first attack in the form of a thrown Lightning Spear. The air crackled as the electricity stunned Deathmon. Once he recovered, he countered with an Explosion Eye. Cherubimon deflected the attack, and with a hand gesture, she trapped her foe in the Holy Hug. Cherubimon raised her hands to the heavens and invoked the Storm of Judgement.
"GAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Deathmon, as repeated lightning strikes electrocuted him.
"Yea! We won!" cheered Suzie. In a soft golden glow, Cherubimon separated into Suzie and Lopmon.
Lopmon pointed to the location of the pile of rocks. "Hey look! Our fight blew down the rock pile!"
Suzie was elated at this lucky turn of events. "We can go to the Dum Dum Factory now!"
After Suzie retrieved her gun, she heard an unknown voice. "Suzie!"
Suzie and Lopmon looked into the air and found the source of the voice. It was Akira! He was seated on top of a grotesque looking Digimon made of the parts of other Digimon. The Digimon head was covered by a chitinous helmet like that of a beetle. Its orange torso was like a tyrannosaur's, and had blue markings. Its icy white legs were that of a wolf Digimon. Two of its arms came from a devil, another was a skeletal tyrannosaur arm, and the last was from an insect. It had a long grey dinosaur tail, a pair of dove's wings, and a pair of torn, bat-like wings.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Chimeramon
Type: Data
Level: Ultimate
Element: Darkness
Chimeramon is a genetically engineered Digimon made from parts of other Digimon. He is among the most powerful Ultimates, and can reduce a city to rubble in mere minutes.
Attacks:
Heat Viper - Chimeramon can exhale gouts of green plasma from his mouth. This attack is so hot that metal instantly melts upon contact.
Hybrid Arms - Chimeramon's touch can deliver a corrupting burst of negative energy to the victim, like Devimon's Touch of Evil. He can also slash with his claws, like Kuwagamon's Scissor Claw.
"Akira!" responded Suzie and Lopmon in kind.
"What happened?" asked Akira. "I saw explosions over here and came to check it out. I'm glad you're alright."
"We're fine, Akiwa!" replied Suzie. "We got into a fight with Deathmon, and we Biomerged to Cherubimon and beat him!"
"You did? Wow! Only good Tamers or ones with Megas can take on a Mega like Deathmon and beat him," exclaimed Akira. "I'm impressed!"
Suzie felt humbled by Akira's praise. "Ah, thank you Akiwa."
"Climb on. We should go to the Dum Dum Factory right away," suggested the Chimeramon. "That Deathmon might be an enemy agent. He might have warned his buddies about us."
"Who's he?" asked Suzie.
"That's Darkfryer," replied Lillith.
"You're Darkfwyer?" asked Suzie in disbelief. "What a change!"
"Yeah, we have to hurry so climb on," urged Darkfryer. Suzie and Lopmon did as they were told.
"Akira, that reminds me, I heard Deathmon say that he was a member of the AoA," informed Lopmon.
"AoA? So that Deathmon is an enemy agent," said Akira pensively. "It also seems the enemy is working under a new name."
"They didn't attack the Dum Dum Factory did they?" asked Lillith.
"I hope not," replied Akira.
****************************************
The group came upon a statue of a Hagurumon. It was in the middle of a courtyard with metal plates covering the ground. The courtyard led to a metal building with square windows. On the top of the building was an exhaust stack from which a thick grey smoke billowed out. It seemed that the industrious Digimon within were working hard to create equipment for the game players. There were no signs of AoA troopers being in the area.
The Hagurumon receptionist showed the group to the foreman, who was also a Hagurumon. "We're Guard Tamers. We're here to escort Mizuno back to base," announced Akira.
"I'm glad you're here, there were some army guys here asking to search the place," replied the foreman. "They called themselves the 'Associates of Anarchy.'"
"Are the bad people still here?" asked Suzie.
"Fortunately, no, but they've been lurking in Byakko Continent's deserts for a few days now. We heard rumours that they control Byakko City. We sent Mizuno to the Legendary Gym up north in Genbu Continent for safety."
"Oh great," grumbled Akira. "How do we get there?"
"We have a dock that connects to the sewer down below. One of our workers took Mizuno there in our submarine. You can use it if you want."
"Thanks," said Akira.
"What about Henwy and the others?" asked Suzie.
"I'm afraid we have to leave them for now," said Akira.
Suzie was very upset at hearing that. "I wanna find Henwy now! We can't leave him here with all the bad people around!"
Akira decided to try to talk her out of it calmly. "I want to find the others as much as you do, Suzie, but it's too dangerous for just the five of us. I'm sure Henry and his friends are good Tamers, and Esmeralda is with them. They'll be fine." Suzie was still unconvinced. "We need you and Lopmon to help us if the AoA decides to show up at the Gym. Please?"
Suzie was surprised that Akira was asking for her help. She took a brief moment to consider his request. "Okay Akiwa, Lopmon and I will help you!"
"Thank you, Suzie."
The foreman showed them to a small vehicle floated on the water by the dock. It was a sleek, almost bullet-shaped metal vehicle with a coat of dark blue paint. At its rear was a set of propellers which propelled the sub through the water. The foreman taught Akira how to control the sub, before he left it in the group's care. With the flick of a switch, the engine hummed softly and the propellers began to swoosh lightly against the water. They were on their way north to the Legendary Gym.
"You really wanted to find Henry," noted Akira. "Tell me a little about him."
"Henwy? I really want to help him beat the bad guys, but he never lets me do anything," replied Suzie.
"Henry just cares about you that's all," said Akira. "He's your brother so he feels he needs to protect you."
"I know, but I wish he would let me fight. I'm a Digimon Tamer too!" Suzie held out her Digivice. "See?"
"Yeah, I see. You handled Deathmon really well. Maybe Henry will be more easygoing now that you can go to Mega. Did I say Deathmon was a tough opponent?"
"Yep."
As the sub travelled through the sea, Suzie looked out the window. She was enthralled by the beauty of the undersea world. The sub passed a bed of stony pink coral. Suzie remarked how much they reminded her of leafless undersea trees. A school of dolphin Digimon passed alongside the sub. After an uneventful trip, the sub entered an underwater cavern before emerging in the icy waters of an arctic lake.
Behind the dock was the maw of a stone dragon built into the side of a mountain. The door to the Legendary Gym was right in the throat of the dragon. Upon entering, the group took in the sights around them. A Biyomon breathed a Spiral Twister and scored a direct hit on a practice dummy. A monkey Digimon, Etemon, threw a flurry of punches at a large, cylindrical punching bag. He followed with a cleanly executed side kick, and his trainer coaxed him to keep improving his technique.
The group passed by another pair of Etemon sparring on a set on mats. The Etemon's Tamer cheered as his partner caught a punch and reversed it into a throw. The gym owner walked up to greet them. He was a biped, dragon-like Digimon with blue scales. He was in a suit of spiky golden armour that glittered in the light. He looked quite noble and experienced in the ways of combat. Akira didn't recognize this Digimon as it was an Armour Digimon, which were extraordinarily rare back in his Digital World.
The Digimon shook everyone's hands. "Hello, I'm Magnamon, the owner of the Legendary Gym."
Everyone introduced themselves. "I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team. We're here to meet a Goro Mizuno."
"Ah, yes. He said that some people were coming by to pick him up. Follow me." Magnamon led the group to a room in the back.
Shibumi was there, watching Datamon practicing his moves. "Akira! What a relief to see you! I hope I didn't worry you too much."
"Nah, no problem. I'm glad to see that you're in good health Mr. Mizuno," said Akira.
"Hey, no need for formality. Just call me Shibumi like my friends do. Anyways, I'm sorry that I wasn't at the Dum Dum Factory. The AoA was onto me and I had to escape. Where are the others?"
"It's a long stowy," replied Suzie. She began to tell Shibumi everything that happened up until this point.
Shibumi stroked his chin pensively. "This isn't good. It's dangerous out there with all those AoA patrols in the deserts. They have Byakko City, so there's very few places for them to hide."
"We can now start looking for your brother," declared Akira, to Suzie's content. "...But we need to return to base first can call for some help. Don't worry Suzie, we'll find them."
"I hope Henwy and Terwiermon are alright," said Suzie wistfully.
I'm Canadian and we have a lot of problems with spelling. Canada was originally a British colony, so we should be using British spellings. However, our closeness to the US causes us to use US spellings for some words and British for others. It's a big problem.
By the way, a SAM is a Surface to Air Missile.
Disclaimer:
Toei and Bandai own Digimon. Bandai owns Digimon World 2 and Digimon World 3. This story was not written for profit.
Guard Tamer: Associates of Anarchy
By: RB3
Chapter 6: Cherubimon's Retaliation
"AAAAHHHHH!" screamed Suzie and Lopmon in terror.
Both Tamer and Digimon were in a dangerous free fall to the ground. The jet copter's chassis was scorched black from enemy fire. Suzie could hear a rapidly approaching swoosh, followed by a deafening explosion. When it was over, Suzie could see three more people fall out of the copter. Several yellow energy blasts struck the copter, shaking the passengers within. It was descending at a dangerously fast pace into the distant desert.
Suzie and Lopmon caught a lucky break for once. They fell into what turned out to be a body of water. Suzie swam up to the surface and popped her head out of the water, followed by Lopmon. She looked around and found herself in the middle of what looked like a basin. A massive faucet hung high above the surface of the water. Suzie recognized this place as being a sink like the ones in her apartment, only this one was big enough for giants to use. The sink was surrounded by palm trees, and there was a fenced catwalk way built onto the side.
"Is anybody up there?" called Suzie.
The face of a cat peered over the edge. "How did you get down there?" she asked. "Wait a sec." The cat disappeared briefly before lowering a rope into the water.
Suzie and Lopmon climbed up. "Lillith, I'm happy to see you!" exclaimed Suzie, until she remarked the cat's white fur. "When did you get white fur?"
"Who's Lillith?" asked the cat. "I'm Gatomon. I run the local inn here in Pelche Oasis. I always have white fur."
"She's the regular kind of Gatomon, which has white fur. Lillith's actually a Black Gatomon and has black fur," noted Lopmon.
"Who are you two, and how did you get into the water?" asked Gatomon.
"I'm Suzie and this is Lopmon. We were in this helicopter and these bad people shot us and we fell out," replied Suzie.
"So it looks like you're lost," mumbled Gatomon. "Like I said, you're in Pelche Oasis. I run the inn here."
"Henwy will be worried. We have to find him!" said Suzie.
"Suzie, we don't know our way around the desert," warned Lopmon. "We shouldn't go wandering or we'll get lost. It's better that we stay here and let our friends find us."
"Why don't you stay at my inn while you wait?" asked Gatomon. "Do you have any money?"
"No," replied Suzie sadly.
"Hmmm... Tell you what. I'll let you stay here for free until your friends find you. How about that?" offered Gatomon.
"Really? You're such a nice kitty!"
Gatomon led Suzie and Lopmon through a nearby door and down a flight of stairs. At the bottom was an underground lobby. A fireplace was at the right, and there was a bear skin rug and two sofas near it. The walls were made of wood and covered with a coat of gloss. Across the room was a wooden reception desk with a door to the right. The desk was very small compared to Suzie's large height and was clearly meant for use by Gatomon.
Gatomon handed Suzie the keys to her room. "Here are the keys to room four. It's the fourth door on right in the next hallway."
"Thank you! Okay Lopmon, let's see our room!" said Suzie cheerfully.
Suzie found her room without any problems and stepped inside to see a cozy place. The bed had smooth white sheets, a fluffy pillow, and felt nice and soft to the touch. There was a cabinet with a rich brown finish meant for storing clothes. Suzie only had the clothes on her back, so it was of little use to her. Beside the entry door was a desk for studying and reading. The bathroom had everything necessary for good hygiene, including a sink, bathtub, and toilet. Suzie treated the whole situation as though she was on a big vacation by herself.
Eventually, she took a rest on her bed, and felt a deep sense of emptiness. "Henwy, where are you?"
"Cheer up, Suzie," said Lopmon comfortingly. "I'm sure the others are looking for us right now."
"I hope so too. I'm so lonely."
Suzie rested for over an hour, unaware of a humvee approaching Pelche Oasis. A pair of Digimon materialized on the sand. The first was a tyrannosaur with black skin, and red markings that almost looked like slash marks. This Digimon was the Champion level Dark Tyrannomon. The second was also a tyrannosaur, but had grey skin. Tubes ran over this Digimon's body, and led into cybernetic implants. This Digimon was Metal Tyrannomon, a possible Ultimate form of Dark Tyrannomon.
After their Digimon secured the area, the driver and his passenger got out of their vehicle. They were a pair of men dressed in khaki military uniforms. They were an intimidating pair of men with an assault rifle slung over their shoulder. They were very intent on finding something. They entered the inn's lobby and scanned around, but failed to see their quarry. The driver bent down and loudly rang the bell on the front desk several times.
"We want to talk to you, get in here!" he demanded.
A different Gatomon walked out of the door. "What's the matter?"
"We're here to ask about a little girl who came this way," replied the soldier. "She's about six or seven years old and of Asian descent."
The Gatomon owner spotted the soldiers through an opening in the door, and ran to Suzie's room in haste. "Suzie! There are soldiers looking for you in the lobby!"
Suzie bolted upright. "The bad people found me! We have to run!"
"Quick! Follow me! I know a way out of here."
****************************************
Meanwhile, Akira fell onto the peak of a sand dune in Noise Desert. He tumbled downward painfully and sand got into his clothes. "Ow! I never knew hitting a dune of sand could hurt so much..." Akira began to rub his injured back.
A pair of screams approached the ground before the impact silenced them. "I thought sand was supposed to be soft!" grumbled Darkfryer.
Akira checked up on the condition of his Digimon. "You two okay?"
Lillith leapt onto Akira's body and began to nuzzle him. "I'm fine, darling!"
"I'm glad that you're okay..." said Akira uncomfortably.
"Where are we?" asked Darkfryer.
Akira pulled out his Browser and cross checked his location. "We're somewhere in the middle of Noise Desert, east of Byakko City."
"Where do we go now?" asked Lillith.
Akira pulled up a map of the region on his Browser. "Well, according to this map, the nearest places are Byakko City, Pelche Oasis, and the Dum Dum Factory."
"How about the oasis?" asked Darkfryer. "We could get some rest there before heading out to the factory."
"Sounds like a plan," remarked Akira. "Let's do it!"
****************************************
Gatomon pushed a secret door open, and everyone stepped out. They found themselves at the side of a mountain at the edge of some badlands. Pelche Oasis was a short distance behind them, and they could see two Digimon occupying the area. They were huge tyrannosaurs, and looked very mean with their sharp, jagged teeth. From the way they behaved, they were on lookout for something or someone.
"Where do we go now?" asked Suzie with concern.
"Go to the Dum Dum Factory up north," answered Gatomon. "The Digimon there might be able to help you." Gatomon pointed towards a pathway through a valley a few metres from their current position.
"Thank you, but will you be safe with those bad people here?"
"Don't worry about me. I can take care of myself. You just get to the factory."
"Thank you Gatomon!"
"Stay safe!" said Lopmon.
"Take care!" called Gatomon.
Suzie remembered what the Guard Tamers told her to do when she was in the out in the field. She flicked on her exoskeleton as protection should she be attacked by enemies. Lopmon and Suzie walked down the pathway for at least an hour. Everywhere they turned, there was only rock and nothing more. They began to wonder if they were making any progress at all. They proceeded down a narrow pathway flanked on both sides by rock formations.
Lopmon suddenly sensed danger approaching. "Suzie, watch out!"
Lopmon tackled Suzie out of the path of a beam of energy. It blew down part of the side wall and initiated an avalanche. The two cleared the area safely, but found their way forward had been blocked. A Digimon descended from above and behind, and trapped Suzie and Lopmon in the middle. This offending Digimon was a black, bat-like demon with a single yellow eye on its face. It opened its talons to reveal a single eye on both of its palms. The grotesque Digimon, Deathmon, was intent on stopping their advance.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Deathmon
Type: Virus
Level: Mega
Element: Darkness
Deathmon is a powerful demon lord mutated by the dark energy he wields. His eyes are not just for seeing, but are also his greatest weapons.
Attacks:
Death Arrow - Deathmon's palm eyes can shoot violet, arrow-shaped bolts of piercing negative energy.
Explosion Eye - Deathmon's central eye is an emitter of powerful beams of energy. Once a beam strikes an object, it results in a devastating explosion.
"That Digimon looks very dangerous," remarked Suzie.
Lopmon stepped forward in defence of her Tamer. "Don't worry Suzie! I'll get him!"
Suzie pulled out a card and slashed it through her D-Power. "Digimodify! Digivolution activate!"
Immediately, Lopmon felt a surge of power coursing through her body. "Lopmon, Digivolve to... Turuiemon!"
In a flash of light, Lopmon was replaced by her Champion form, Turuiemon. She launched herself at Deathmon with a katar ready to strike. Deathmon caught her wrist and smashed her with his free hand. The blow was so powerful that it launched Turuiemon back into the rock pile. Suzie was shocked at how powerful Deathmon was. He didn't even use a special attack, and Turuiemon was already down. Suzie was dearly concerned for the welfare of her best friend.
"Bah, too easy," grumbled Deathmon.
Turuiemon got up, not willing to give up so soon. "I need to become Antylamon to fight this Digimon."
Suzie nodded and slashed a card she received from Ryo Akiyama as a gift. "Digimodify! Radiant Faith activate!"
A new, even greater power surged through Turuiemon's body. "Turuiemon, Matrix Digivolve to... Antylamon!"
In a flash of golden light, Turuiemon ascended to her Ultimate form of Antylamon. Like her previous form, Lopmon, Antylamon was a rabbit with chocolate fur. She was huge in height, and many times taller than Lopmon ever was. She wore white armour with gold trimmings as a form of chest protection, and a pair of baggy violet pants. Her long arms stretched all the way to her knees, giving her a great reach advantage in a melee situation. She would need it to take on a powerful foe like Deathmon.
Antylamon's hands changed into the blades of an axe as she activated her Bunny Blades ability. She charged at Deathmon, slashing and twirling in a deadly dance. Deathmon attempted to block the attacks, but Antylamon was much stronger than Turuiemon ever was. He was forced to give ground for the first time in this battle. A missed slash struck a stone formation, cleaving a massive groove into the rock. One slash managed to penetrate his defence, bumping him backwards with minimal damage. Deathmon decided to fly away to set up for a counter attack.
Antylamon attempted to cut off the retreat, but Deathmon evaded and made it to safety in the air. Antylamon was now at a tactical disadvantage. His eye glowed amber as he charged up energy for an Explosion Eye attack. She moved her blades to shield her body, and braced for the inevitable impact. A beam of amber energy streamed forth and exploded upon striking Antylamon. It overpowered her despite her best efforts, and caused her to revert back to being Lopmon.
"Antylamon no!" cried Suzie, realizing the gravity of her situation.
She held onto the injured Lopmon tightly to comfort her. Lopmon had suffered severe injuries and couldn't continue. Suzie remembered having a submachine gun. Out of desperation, she decided to fight back, and fired a seemingly endless hail of energy bullets at Deathmon. To her horror, the gun had no effect on the Demon Lord Digimon. He simply continued advancing, unfazed by Suzie's heroic gesture.
He knocked the gun out of her hand, and shoved Suzie onto the ground. He aimed the eye on his palm directly at Suzie and Lopmon, and it cast a violet glow. Deathmon was ready to deliver the finishing blow. Normally, Suzie and Lopmon would be returned to a crypt elsewhere in the game world if they died. Unfortunately, this fail-safe didn't apply to them. They didn't count as players since they didn't use the Online Centre to enter the game. Upon remembering this, Suzie was terrified and began crying.
"You win! You win!" said Suzie between sobs. "Leave us alone!"
"I would, but you are an enemy of the AoA, and must be eliminated!" said Deathmon. Do you two have any last words?"
"Suzie, before we die, I want you to know that you're the best friend I ever had," confessed Lopmon. "I'm glad we were together until the very end!"
"How touching," said Deathmon sarcastically. "I suppose you have some last words too, little girl?"
"Lopmon you're my best friend too!" said Suzie.
In response to their admission of friendship, Suzie and Lopmon's body shined with golden light. "Biomerge activate!"
Suzie shut her eyes as the Digivolutionary energy vaporized her clothes and joined her with Lopmon. "Lopmon, Biomerge to..."
Lightning from dark storm clouds overhead bombarded the land. A heavenly light pierced the clouds, and cast a circle of gold on the ground. The thunder and lightning suddenly stopped, and a celestial creature descended from the heavens. Her body was surrounded by an aura of warm pink light. This celestial creature was a rabbit with fur as pink as cotton candy.
Around her neck was a shawl with jutting points like that of jester's. The rings of gold on her ears shined with divine brilliance in the sunlight. She touched down on the ground and summoned the power of the storm. At the call of their mistress, bolts of lightning lit the darkness. One struck her hand and formed a makeshift spear. As her final act, she raised her spear upwards in a triumphant stance.
"Cherubimon!"
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Cherbuimon
Type: Vaccine
Level: Mega
Element: Holy/Lightning
Cherubimon, Ophanimon, and Seraphimon, make up the trinity of angelic Megas. She uses her holy and lightning powers to smite the followers of evil.
Attacks:
Holy Hug - Cherubimon entraps a foe within a halo of golden light. This attack is versatile, being able to incapacitate or destroy the victim.
Lightning Spear - Cherubimon calls forth a lightning bolt with this ability. It is used much like a spear or javelin.
Storm of Judgement - Cherubimon raises her hands to the heavens and calls upon a storm to bombard an area.
Suzie opened her eyes to gaze upon the world as Cherubimon. "I'm a giant bunny now?"
"We became one together!" proclaimed Lopmon's voice.
Deathmon fired an Explosion Eye, which Cherubimon leapt over. "You missed me! Nyah nyah nyah nyah nyah!" mocked Suzie, as Cherubimon began making faces at her foe.
He was infuriated and began to fire several Death Arrows at Cherubimon. With several booms, each attack exploded behind her as she bounced off the rock formations. She made her first attack in the form of a thrown Lightning Spear. The air crackled as the electricity stunned Deathmon. Once he recovered, he countered with an Explosion Eye. Cherubimon deflected the attack, and with a hand gesture, she trapped her foe in the Holy Hug. Cherubimon raised her hands to the heavens and invoked the Storm of Judgement.
"GAAAAAAAAH!" screamed Deathmon, as repeated lightning strikes electrocuted him.
"Yea! We won!" cheered Suzie. In a soft golden glow, Cherubimon separated into Suzie and Lopmon.
Lopmon pointed to the location of the pile of rocks. "Hey look! Our fight blew down the rock pile!"
Suzie was elated at this lucky turn of events. "We can go to the Dum Dum Factory now!"
After Suzie retrieved her gun, she heard an unknown voice. "Suzie!"
Suzie and Lopmon looked into the air and found the source of the voice. It was Akira! He was seated on top of a grotesque looking Digimon made of the parts of other Digimon. The Digimon head was covered by a chitinous helmet like that of a beetle. Its orange torso was like a tyrannosaur's, and had blue markings. Its icy white legs were that of a wolf Digimon. Two of its arms came from a devil, another was a skeletal tyrannosaur arm, and the last was from an insect. It had a long grey dinosaur tail, a pair of dove's wings, and a pair of torn, bat-like wings.
====================Digimon Analyzer====================
Name: Chimeramon
Type: Data
Level: Ultimate
Element: Darkness
Chimeramon is a genetically engineered Digimon made from parts of other Digimon. He is among the most powerful Ultimates, and can reduce a city to rubble in mere minutes.
Attacks:
Heat Viper - Chimeramon can exhale gouts of green plasma from his mouth. This attack is so hot that metal instantly melts upon contact.
Hybrid Arms - Chimeramon's touch can deliver a corrupting burst of negative energy to the victim, like Devimon's Touch of Evil. He can also slash with his claws, like Kuwagamon's Scissor Claw.
"Akira!" responded Suzie and Lopmon in kind.
"What happened?" asked Akira. "I saw explosions over here and came to check it out. I'm glad you're alright."
"We're fine, Akiwa!" replied Suzie. "We got into a fight with Deathmon, and we Biomerged to Cherubimon and beat him!"
"You did? Wow! Only good Tamers or ones with Megas can take on a Mega like Deathmon and beat him," exclaimed Akira. "I'm impressed!"
Suzie felt humbled by Akira's praise. "Ah, thank you Akiwa."
"Climb on. We should go to the Dum Dum Factory right away," suggested the Chimeramon. "That Deathmon might be an enemy agent. He might have warned his buddies about us."
"Who's he?" asked Suzie.
"That's Darkfryer," replied Lillith.
"You're Darkfwyer?" asked Suzie in disbelief. "What a change!"
"Yeah, we have to hurry so climb on," urged Darkfryer. Suzie and Lopmon did as they were told.
"Akira, that reminds me, I heard Deathmon say that he was a member of the AoA," informed Lopmon.
"AoA? So that Deathmon is an enemy agent," said Akira pensively. "It also seems the enemy is working under a new name."
"They didn't attack the Dum Dum Factory did they?" asked Lillith.
"I hope not," replied Akira.
****************************************
The group came upon a statue of a Hagurumon. It was in the middle of a courtyard with metal plates covering the ground. The courtyard led to a metal building with square windows. On the top of the building was an exhaust stack from which a thick grey smoke billowed out. It seemed that the industrious Digimon within were working hard to create equipment for the game players. There were no signs of AoA troopers being in the area.
The Hagurumon receptionist showed the group to the foreman, who was also a Hagurumon. "We're Guard Tamers. We're here to escort Mizuno back to base," announced Akira.
"I'm glad you're here, there were some army guys here asking to search the place," replied the foreman. "They called themselves the 'Associates of Anarchy.'"
"Are the bad people still here?" asked Suzie.
"Fortunately, no, but they've been lurking in Byakko Continent's deserts for a few days now. We heard rumours that they control Byakko City. We sent Mizuno to the Legendary Gym up north in Genbu Continent for safety."
"Oh great," grumbled Akira. "How do we get there?"
"We have a dock that connects to the sewer down below. One of our workers took Mizuno there in our submarine. You can use it if you want."
"Thanks," said Akira.
"What about Henwy and the others?" asked Suzie.
"I'm afraid we have to leave them for now," said Akira.
Suzie was very upset at hearing that. "I wanna find Henwy now! We can't leave him here with all the bad people around!"
Akira decided to try to talk her out of it calmly. "I want to find the others as much as you do, Suzie, but it's too dangerous for just the five of us. I'm sure Henry and his friends are good Tamers, and Esmeralda is with them. They'll be fine." Suzie was still unconvinced. "We need you and Lopmon to help us if the AoA decides to show up at the Gym. Please?"
Suzie was surprised that Akira was asking for her help. She took a brief moment to consider his request. "Okay Akiwa, Lopmon and I will help you!"
"Thank you, Suzie."
The foreman showed them to a small vehicle floated on the water by the dock. It was a sleek, almost bullet-shaped metal vehicle with a coat of dark blue paint. At its rear was a set of propellers which propelled the sub through the water. The foreman taught Akira how to control the sub, before he left it in the group's care. With the flick of a switch, the engine hummed softly and the propellers began to swoosh lightly against the water. They were on their way north to the Legendary Gym.
"You really wanted to find Henry," noted Akira. "Tell me a little about him."
"Henwy? I really want to help him beat the bad guys, but he never lets me do anything," replied Suzie.
"Henry just cares about you that's all," said Akira. "He's your brother so he feels he needs to protect you."
"I know, but I wish he would let me fight. I'm a Digimon Tamer too!" Suzie held out her Digivice. "See?"
"Yeah, I see. You handled Deathmon really well. Maybe Henry will be more easygoing now that you can go to Mega. Did I say Deathmon was a tough opponent?"
"Yep."
As the sub travelled through the sea, Suzie looked out the window. She was enthralled by the beauty of the undersea world. The sub passed a bed of stony pink coral. Suzie remarked how much they reminded her of leafless undersea trees. A school of dolphin Digimon passed alongside the sub. After an uneventful trip, the sub entered an underwater cavern before emerging in the icy waters of an arctic lake.
Behind the dock was the maw of a stone dragon built into the side of a mountain. The door to the Legendary Gym was right in the throat of the dragon. Upon entering, the group took in the sights around them. A Biyomon breathed a Spiral Twister and scored a direct hit on a practice dummy. A monkey Digimon, Etemon, threw a flurry of punches at a large, cylindrical punching bag. He followed with a cleanly executed side kick, and his trainer coaxed him to keep improving his technique.
The group passed by another pair of Etemon sparring on a set on mats. The Etemon's Tamer cheered as his partner caught a punch and reversed it into a throw. The gym owner walked up to greet them. He was a biped, dragon-like Digimon with blue scales. He was in a suit of spiky golden armour that glittered in the light. He looked quite noble and experienced in the ways of combat. Akira didn't recognize this Digimon as it was an Armour Digimon, which were extraordinarily rare back in his Digital World.
The Digimon shook everyone's hands. "Hello, I'm Magnamon, the owner of the Legendary Gym."
Everyone introduced themselves. "I'm Commander Akira Violet of the Black Sword Guard Team. We're here to meet a Goro Mizuno."
"Ah, yes. He said that some people were coming by to pick him up. Follow me." Magnamon led the group to a room in the back.
Shibumi was there, watching Datamon practicing his moves. "Akira! What a relief to see you! I hope I didn't worry you too much."
"Nah, no problem. I'm glad to see that you're in good health Mr. Mizuno," said Akira.
"Hey, no need for formality. Just call me Shibumi like my friends do. Anyways, I'm sorry that I wasn't at the Dum Dum Factory. The AoA was onto me and I had to escape. Where are the others?"
"It's a long stowy," replied Suzie. She began to tell Shibumi everything that happened up until this point.
Shibumi stroked his chin pensively. "This isn't good. It's dangerous out there with all those AoA patrols in the deserts. They have Byakko City, so there's very few places for them to hide."
"We can now start looking for your brother," declared Akira, to Suzie's content. "...But we need to return to base first can call for some help. Don't worry Suzie, we'll find them."
"I hope Henwy and Terwiermon are alright," said Suzie wistfully.
