Chapter 7: Undertow
The base was quiet as repairs were being made, while machinery was whirring and cranes were operating with large Digimon moving parts and pallets not a word was being uttered, Daichi sat on the infirmary, the bandages on his body were tight and restricting, everytime he shifted the wound would ache. Akira entered the room "knock knock buddy, you doin' alright?" Daichi sat in silence with Akira trying to break the silence "I brought you some grub" Akira eyed the trays on his side table that were still filled with food "Daichi...you have to eat something" Daichi responded "I'm just not hungry, thank you for your concern though" Akira placed the tray down and sat next to Daichi "look Daichi, what happened last week was super screwed up but it's over now, you don't have to be afraid anymore" Daichi looked her in the eye "what if they come back?" Akira responded "then I'll be there to make sure nothing happens to you" Akira grabbed Daichi's hand "I promise" Daichi smiled as a tear rolled down his cheek. Akira shot a quick glance to the tray of food and Daichi relented grabbing it and eating.
Taikei sat with Keiko, the only sound was the distant mechanical sounds of automated construction equipment. Taikei finally broke the silence "do you think that old guy is gonna come back for us?" Keiko clasped her hands together "most likely, the ones he works for are more than happy to dispose of the ones who step out of line, but as long as the Director is in their way they'll have to do it off the record, which will be hard for them" Taikei sat back in his chair "Daichi got hurt, it didn't really sink in until I really thought about how close he was to dying, the gravity of it all, it's pretty heavy" Keiko nodded "in our line of work, especially now, we run the risk of the exact scenario happening, you don't really make peace with it, you learn to make the mission a priority" Taikei sighed "well, I'm hungry, you wanna grab a bite?" Keiko shrugged "sure, raid the mess?" Taikei smirked and got up as did Keiko.
Taikei opened one of the fridges and pulled out a pouch-like drink "ahh, Tarami Jelly, haven't had this since I was a kid" Taikei unscrewed the cap and drank the whole thing "oooh man, tastes just like how I remember" he turned to Keiko to see her hands shaking as she lifted a potato chip to her mouth, she dropped it and it cracked onto the floor "shit" she whispered, Taikei approached her and put his hand on her shoulder "hey Keiko, are you alright?" Keiko looked at him "y-yeah, I'm fine, I just" Keiko put her shoulders down and relented "seeing Daichi hurt like that...brought back some bad memories, before the whole incident that caused all of this, I was fine with dangerous situation, where injury was likely. But when it happened, I don't know I guess I'm still not over it, you just don't...forget something like that" Taikei looked down "yeah, seeing Daichi like that made me scared" Keiko shook her head "no, it wasn't fear I felt, it was something different I can't really explain it I felt like I was back in that same hallway, seeing my squadmates fall one by one" Taikei responded "you still led us though" Keiko rubbed her eyes "you really aren't good at this" Taikei chuckled "yeah...but I can listen" Keiko smiled and leaned on Taikei's shoulder "okay, then just listen..."
A few Hours later
Mamoru came up from underneath the dropship "finally back in working order huh Beautiful?" Mamoru wiped the grease off of his face. Aiko bursted out of the engine bay "the engines are working at 96% efficiency the ship is ready for travel" Mamoru smirked "didn't know you were a grease monkey Aiko, kinda thought you were the book wormy type that didn't like to get her hands dirty" Aiko was covered in oil and scuff as she exited the ship "it's efficient to have automotive skills, you never know when your vehicle will be out of commission and you are required to fix it" Mamoru scratched his head "yeah I guess". The Hangar door opened and Taikei along with Keiko entered "hey guys, finished the repairs" Mamoru dusted off his hands "you guys are just in time we just finished". Suddenly all of their Digivices lit up "looks like we got a mission" Keiko sighed "so soon? We just got comfortable". Everyone gathered in the Meeting Room and the screen lit up to reveal the Director "hello team, I hope everything is going well with the repairs" Aiko responded "the repairs are going well Director" the silence in the room was visible and thick like a wall "Director...what is the purpose of this call?" The Director clasped his hands "we...ahem, it seems that your skirmish a few days ago has been kept underwraps, looks like Skeleton Squadron doesn't want to be found either, but now we must be more careful and be aware that whatever we uncover migbt unearth other threats". Everyone nodded as the Director continued "there seems to be strange readings in the Caribbean, frequencies match when that Greymon that attacked Taikei and Keiko, we have reason to believe that there will be a Breach and something is going to come through, head straight there and investigate". Everyone boarded the ship except for Daichi "hey man, are you okay?" Mamoru asked with Daichi shaking "I'm just a little in pain" Mamoru walked over to him "you'll be okay, we won't leave you alone this time". Daichi smiled and boarded and the team took off.
The team landed and were greeted by other D.A.T.S Agents "hey guys look, it's the Rejects" one of the Agents taunted with his superior officer punching him in the shoulder "keep your voice down, these Agents are directly under the command of the Director so show some respect" the Agent scoffed "yes ma'am". The Squad exited the ship and were greeted by the Officer "glad to see you all mafe it safe, we could use your help and this seems like your area of expertise" Keiko spoke up "what's the situation?" The Agents led them to the coastline, Daichi noticed something with the water "huh, seawater isn't supposed to do that" Akira turned to him and asked "supposed to do what?" Daichi answered "spiral" everyone looked at the ocean to see that it was moving sideways, as if it were going down a drain. Daichi went to the shoreline and felt the water, he was nearly pulled in by the current "woah, whatever is making the ocean do this has to be outputting some serious force" Daichi dusted off his hands and looked at the Local Agents "have you guys been able to launch any kind of visual recording of the ocean?" The Agents shook their heads "no, we tried but the power of the current destroyed any type of surveillance, not even our aquatic Digimon can fight the current, we're going in blind".
Daichi approached the shore "DNA Charge!" Betamon Digivolved into Seadramon "okay buddy, let's scout" one of the agents spoke up "hey, what makes you think your Digimon can resist?" Daichi smiled "I'm not going to resist it" Daichi pressed a little button on his dog tag and his uniform shrink wrapped his body turning it into a wetsuit, a mechanism strapped to his mouth "I'll be down there for about 10 minutes any longer then it's a concern". Daichi got onto the back of Seadramon and they dove in swimming along the current riding it down toward the bottom. Mamoru went onto the communicator "Daichi, how's it going down there" Daichi's voice came out with some static "the current is...strong, real strong, but I'm in control the sealife know better, haven't seen a fish." Daichi looked down to see something peculiar " I have a visual on something" Daichi locked eyes with a massive opening in the sand, it was slightly slanted so Daichi could look directly into it, the water was swirling around being sucked into the hole "it looks like a black hole sucking up the water" Mamoru responded "okay Daichi, come on back, we'll discuss what to do next when you get back" Daichi looked back and was about to head back. Daichi looked back to see something in the hole, it's eyes were red and glowing, slowly pairs of tentacles emerged from the hole and a dark figure rushed Daichi.
Mamoru's Digivice lit up with a panicked Daichi's voice "Digimon! Digimon! I have a Digimon here! Ultimate Level!" Mamoru responded immediately "Daichi?! There's a Digimon down there? Stay calm, we'll get you out!" Mamoru let out Keramon but Aiko stopped him "do not go down there Agent Mamoru, you'll be lost in the current" Mamoru was about to go anyway until Daichi's voice came through the Digivice "I have a plan!" Daichi and Seadramon weaved through the water dodging clawed tentacles coming at them "get Veedramon to fire at a certain Position, Veedramon is the only one with the firepower to reach this far down" Taikei cracked his knuckles "tell us were to aim" Daichi pointed his Digivice trying to calculate position but Seadramon had to keep maneuvering to avoid attacks "we need to find an opening to triangulate, freeze one of its limbs" Seadramon blasted a tentacle with a breath of ice, the limb was frozen and the Digimon attempted to get the ice off "Now!" Daichi pointed his Digivice toward the hole "almost there!" The Digimon let rip a whip from its tentacles, Seadramon suddenly got infront of Daichi wrapping around him and taking the blow. Daichi pointed his Digivice toward the shore and a beep from his Digivice signaled him "got it! Taikei, the coordinates are -88 126 92" Taikei angled his Digivie and found the direction "Veedramon, put your back into it and fire right there!" Veedramon powered up a large blast in its mouth. Veedramon fired, the beam ripped through the water and Daichi could see it from how deep he was "time to move Seadramon" Seadramon began to swim despite their wound, the Digimon looked at the beam and swam out of the way, the beam went right through the hole and traveled for a while until it came intk contact with something, a light boom noise came through the hole. Suddenly the hole began to intake even more water as it began to shrink, Daichi and Seadramon fought against the whirlpool and inched closer to freedom, Seadramon suddenly screamed in pain, Daichi looked and the other Digimon's tentacle digging into Seadramon, Daichi pulled out his tactical knife and stabbed at the Digimon, it relented letting go of Seadramon. The Digimon shot another Tentacle and it grazed Daichi on the shoulder, Daichi fell off of Seadramon and began to move quickly toward the swirling black hole, the Digimon snickered as Daichi flailed and Seadramon rushed forward, Daichi saw the corners of the hole as he began to fall in.
Seadramon swam as fast as it could and threw its tail out "grab on Daichi!" Daichi grabbed onto the leaf like tail as Seadramon pushed as hard as it could to swim out of the hole, suddenly a tentacle struck Seadramon in the face causing Daichi and Seadramon to start falling into the abyss, Daichi grabbed Seadramon's face "are you okay Seadramon?" Seadramon sniffled "I failed us Daichi, I'm sorry, I'm so weak" Daichi hugged Seadramon's face "oh buddy, you could never fail me, we're both failures, but hey, atleast we stopped this" Seadramon laughed "yeah, we did, didn't we?" Both of them laughed as Daichi's DNA Charge. Seadramon began to glow "looks like we still have a lifeline!" Daichi lifted his Digivice "DNA! Ful Charge!" Seadramon began to glow brighter "Seadramon Digivolve to...WaruSeadramon!" Waru grabbed onto Daichi and swam, it was so much faster, Daichi saw and felt the cold blackness then the blue-green warmth of the sea "whoa, you're so fast buddy!" Waru spotted the Digimon and made a B-Line for it slashing it with its horn, Daichi tapped Waru "hey buddy, I know you have a grudge but we gotta get to shore" Waru nodded but before turning around it charged energy in its horn "Thunder Javelin!" Waru blasted the Digimon with a bolt of black and red lightning. Waru swam toward the shore and erupted from the water landing infront of his extremely shocked and confused Teammates "hey guys...uh, looks like the operation was a success" another plume of water came out from the sea and the mysterious Digimon stood infront of everyone "MarineDevimon, Ultimate Level, very fast, and very dangerous". Marine shot its tentacles at everyone, Veedramon grabbed its tentacles and pulled Marine, Veedramon the hit it with a right hook sending it back into the water, Akira spoke up "we can't just leave that thing in the water" Daichi and Waru, without saying a word dove back into the water to finish the fight.
Waru and Daichi looked around the water to try and spot Marine. Waru didn't have time to react as a bladed fin struck it across the face causing Waru to rotate, Waru corrected itself and spotted Marine, Waru rushed over catching several tentacles in its mouth and biting down on the severing two of them, Marine then smacked Waru in the back causing it to slam down onto the seafloor, Marine dove down and struck Waru, while Waru was down it began to stomp on it laughing maniacally, Daichi slowly rose up from behind Marine and stabbed its eye with his knife. Marine swatted Daichi away who hit his head on a rock and fell unconcious, Waru's eyes turned red at the sight of this, it roared and bit Marine on the shoulder and began to flail it around slamming the Digimon across the sandy floor, it then tossed Marine out of the water and chased after it. Everyone on the beach witnessed Marine be flung out of the water, Waru erupted from the sea and impaled Marine on its horn "Call of Thunder!" a bolt of lightning came down from the sky and struck MarineDevimon, Waru then dove back down into the water, it charged its horn again "Black Maelstrom!" it roared as it unleashed a storm of lightning from its horn vaporizing Marine and from the beach everyone could see the ocean turn red and crack like bolts of lightning.
WaruSeadramon emerged from the water with Daichi on its head, it placed him down before reverting back into Betamon. Daichi got up "oh man, did we win?" Akira rushed over snd hugged Daichi as did Taikei "you were awesome dude!" Taikei exclaimed with the other DATS Agents begrudgingly agreeing, Betamon then revealed from underneath it was a Digi-Egg "this is what's left of MarineDevimon" Aiko picked up the egg "hm, we'll have to bring this back for research" the ground suddenly ripped open and chains came from underneath grabbing the Digi-Egg and pulling it into it. Taikei stomped his foot "dammit, it happened again, like with Greymon and Blossomon". The team were packing up the ship as the three other DATS Agents approached them "excuse us, Commander" Keiko looked at the Agents "yes Operatives?" The Agents saluted "we thank you and your team for your help, without you guys the seas might not be as safe as they are now" Keiko smiled and boarded the ship "keep up the good work Agents, and make sure to call if you need any more help from us Rejects" she winked at all of them as the ship began to take off and the boarding ramp closed, the ship then took off, one of the Agents then said "you guys think I have a shot with her?"