Hitomi blinked. "I'm sorry, I didn't understand?" She, along with Ms. Asaji, were out shopping when they had run into Rika and Rumiko. The schools in the area had closed owing to the amount of damage Vikaralamon had done during his battle in the center of town.
Rumiko Nonaka smiled, completely oblivious to the incredulous look her own daughter was giving her. "Please, why don't you come with us, Hitomi? I know this nice little place in the mountains with a lake and a nice house to sleep in with running water and proper beds."
Nami smiled a bit. "Go ahead, Hitomi. The school's going to be closed for repairs until Tuesday."
"Oh, you can come too, Nami, I insist! After that dreadful monster appeared and started smashing up everything, you should get some sort of vacation! Oh, you two must have been terrified." Nami nodded helplessly.
"Then it's settled." Rumiko declared. "Pack your swimsuits, we'll leave tomorrow!"
"Umm..." Hitomi answered, a bit hesitant. "I don't have a swimsuit."
"You don't? Well, then, we'll have to get you one!" Eagerly, Rumiko grabbed Hitomi by the arm and dragged her into the nearest store, leaving Nami and Rika behind.
Well, Rika thought, it could have been me.
==
Digicross Tamers episode 18
'Colonel Sinduramon, Original Recipe.'
==
Janyu Wong sat at the computer terminal, face grim. "So," Terriermon piped up, "how bad is it? We did just beat the bad guys, right? Um...we did, right?" Standing beside his father, Henry tried to fight the feeling of dread that had been building since he and Terriermon had been called in.
"Vikaralamon and Makuramon, yes. But there's a bigger problem." Janyu indicated his computer screen. "Yamaki designed the Juggernaut system to act as a sort of digital vaccuum, sucking up all the digimon over a given area and destroy them."
"Yeah." Henry nodded. "But I thought it was shut down."
"Makuramon was able to reactivate it and modify the program. Instead of pulling digimon into it, the new Juggernaut system is able to create portals to the digital world, allowing powerful digimon to come through."
"They couldn't before?" Terriermon asked.
"No. The stronger the digimon is, the more power is needed to get through the barrier separating the two worlds. But we're getting away from the real problem, specifically that the barrier is still open."
Henry gasped. "But I thought that you and the others managed to shut down Makuramon's program!"
"We did," Janyu replied sadly, "but Makuramon's modified Juggernaut managed to punch several holes in the wall dividing our two worlds, and those holes are still there."
"How many?"
Janyu shrugged. "Maybe fifteen, maybe only five, there's no way to tell. We can't really detect them until some digimon uses it to come through. You'd better let the other tamers know about this; it's possible that another of these Devas might come through seeking revenge for Vikaralamon and Makuramon."
"Great." Henry groaned.
==Park, late afternoon
Henry finished telling everyone there what his father had found out. "So, we could be facing even more Devas?" Jeri asked. "Makuramon and Vikaralamon were bad enough."
"Hey, we did manage to beat two of them." Takato replied. "Of course, I haven't been able to find another blue card since Guilmon Matrix Digivolved. Come to think of it, I don't remember putting one in my deck, either."
"When Calumon released that energy after Makuramon attacked him," Hitomi said, "it must have changed one of your cards. How is Calumon?"
Rika shrugged. "See for yourself. He's still flying around. He is talking to himself a lot though."
Renamon nodded. "Unown's consciousness must have survived its merger with Calumon."
Hitomi nodded, shoulders sagging a bit. "Hey, don't worry!" Jeri said. "I'm sure we can get you home. Hey, why not use that Juggernaut program to open a door to Hitomi's world?"
"Without knowing where Hitomi's home is, it'd be too risky." Henry replied. "We might open a door to someplace worse."
"Yeah," Takato agreed, "like that skin switching world."
Rika sighed. "Gogglehead." she muttered.
"So, what do you know about the Devas, Gabumon?" Jeri asked.
Gabumon sighed, then began. "The twelve Devas serve the Digimon Sovereign, the four strongest digimon in the Digital World. Makuramon and Vikaralamon you know. The other ten are Chatsuramon, Khumbiramon, Indramon, Vajramon, Pajiramon, Majiramon, Sinduramon, Sandiramon, Mihiramon, and Antylamon."
Renamon stood up. "Antylamon would never be like them." she replied, a bit forcefully.
Gabumon looked confused. "I am sorry, but she and Majiramon were the last two digimon that I fought before I came to this world."
"I do not accept that." Renamon answered, getting up and leaving. Rika quickly got up and followed her partner.
"Huh?" Jeri wondered, confused by Renamon's behaviour.
Takato decided to change the subject back to the Devas. "So, there's 12 of them to fight?"
"I do not know. I have heard that some of them are still free, and fight against their brethren. But I do not know which ones."
==Saturday, Matsuki bakery.
"Boy, some people have all the luck." Takato griped. He had learned last night that Hitomi and Rika would be away for the weekend, taking a vacation in the mountains. He, on the other hand, was stuck in the kitchen, making bread. The store had been emptied yesterday by people eager to leave the city, and Takato was pressed into service that morning. "I get a vacation from school, and I get drafted into bread duty. At least Guilmon isn't here. There isn't enough bread in the city to fill him up." He decided to vent his frustrations on the latest batch of dough, kneading it furiously. "Now, where did I put the flour?"
"Here." Without thinking, Takato took the small can of flour, and sprinkled it on the dough. After a second, he realized that he knew that voice. "Jeri?"
Jeri smiled brightly, and Takato noticed that she had put on a spare apron and hairnet. "My parents came over to do some shopping, and I heard you were stuck in here for the day. So I thought I'd come help out. If you don't mind."
"Mind? Me? No, go right ahead, Jeri." Takato answered, hoping that he didn't look like a total goof (He did -ed).
Takato's dad glanced into the kitchen, saw the two working, and went back to the shop, smiling. "Yeah, he's gone all goofy. So what do we do about it?"
Jeri's stepmom shrugged. "Well, Takato is a sweet boy, and I think I can trust him with my daughter."
"I don't know. If Yoshie found out about this, she'd pack Takato away to Hokkaido or something."
"Satoshi's the same way. So, my order will be done in about two hours?"
==Mountains.
It was cold in the lake, but Hitomi found that she didn't mind too much. She swam for a few minutes, then made her way back to the small dock where Rika was sitting. Hitomi climbed out of the water, shivering. "Thanks." she said as Rika handed her a towel. 'Are you going to go for a swim?"
Rika looked over the lake, remembering. I haven't swum since..." she stopped, frowning. "...in a long time." she amended, voice hard.
"I...I'm sorry!" Hitomi answered.
Rika groaned. "Will you QUIT apologizing, already?" Hitomi stammered, trying to reply. "Oh for...look, it's not your fault, alright? I just don't want to talk about it." Hitomi nodded, and the two sat on the dock, both awkwardly silent.
Finally, Rika spoke up. "Hey, tell me about your world. Are there a lot of digimon battles there?"
Hitomi shook her head. "Not like here; the battles back home are formalized now, and never to the death of a pokemon or digimon. Mom runs the Pokemon Gym in my home town, she's won a lot of battles with her pokemon and her partner, Elecmon."
"And you're next in line?"
"No." Hitomi answered. "I don't really like battling, except when I have to. I want to become a Monster Watcher, travel the world, and see lots of pokemon and digimon."
"And Akira?"
"Like I said before, I haven't seen her in years. I talked to her again a few days before we came here; she and her Renamon are really into dance. But her mom and dad are part of the Elite Four."
Rika blinked. "The who?"
"The Elite Four; they're a group of really skilled pokemon trainers, the best in the world. Akira's parents, Caryl Kyashi and Ryo Akiyama, are two of them. Miss Kyashi has a Renamon as well, she's more like the Renamon that you're partners with. I think you might like Miss Kyashi. She's a really good battler, like you are."
==
Renamon glanced from the tree branch she was standing on. "They seem to be getting along well."
Eevee shrugged. "Eh, they're not killing each other; that's good enough for me."
"Rika is not as cold-hearted as you think she is." Renamon replied. "She..." Renamon stopped abruptly.
"'She' what?" Eevee asked. "Come on, don't leave me hanging here."
"I have already said too much. I will not reveal what I know."
Eevee sighed, exasperated. "Come on. I promise I won't tell anyone. Not even Noctowl."
Renamon looked away for a moment, then looked at Eevee. "Rika's father left her and her mother; it was a few years before I came to this world. Rika...didn't take it too well."
Eevee nodded. "Fair enough."
Renamon looked at Eevee, curious. "That's it? No snide comebacks?"
"Do I look like Terriermon? I do know the value of discretion, thank you."
Renamon looked at Eevee again. "You are not much like Hitomi. She seems a bit more..."
"Shy? Yeah. All her friends got their partner monsters when they were born; but I didn't meet Hitomi until just over a year ago. From what I hear, she got teased a lot before that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Well, both her folks are...well, they were the first digidestined. I think she felt like she was living in their shadow or something." Eevee smiled a bit. "Not that Kyle would let her stay miserable; if it wasn't for June, I think he'd have spoiled Hitomi rotten."
==Tokyo Park
Henry sighed, watching Terriermon playing with Guilmon and Calumon. Normally, he'd be playing with Terriermon as well (well, more like keeping him out of trouble. -ed), but his father's news had cast a pall over everything. It seemed like every shadow held a Deva, ready to attack. Renamon's reaction to Gabumon's information was troubling him too. "I wonder if she knew Antylamon before she came here." Henry mused.
"Hey, Henry!" Terriermon yelled. "Wanna help me find Calumon?" Henry didn't respond. Curious, Terriermon wandered over. "Henry? Hello?" Still nothing. "HENRY!"
"GAAH!" Henry yelped, jumping. "Don't do that!"
"Well, you were spacing out, what was I supposed to do? Tell Guilmon there was a hamburger in your socks?"
"Don't you dare." Henry replied evenly. "I'm just thinking about what dad told me."
"About the Devas? Moumantai, Henry. I'll just digivolve and send 'em running, no problem."
"How? When Doberman and Growlmon digivolved to Black WereGarurumon and WarGrowlmon, they used blue cards to power the evolution; I've checked all my cards, and I haven't found anything that matches that kind of card."
"Not even a Blue Meramon?"
"Funny, Terriermon, real funny." Henry slumped down on the bench. "And we don't even know why they're coming here." He had tried asking Calumon directly, but that hadn't worked. Calumon knew (now) that he had the power to digivolve other digimon, and that the Devas were after him for that power, but little else. "Any sign of Impmon?"
Terriermon shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe Rika, Hitomi, and your girlfriend scared them off."
"Will you just quit it?" Henry growled. In the distance there was a huge crashing noise. Curious, Henry got up and ran to one of the park entrances. "What happened?" he asked a passerby.
"Power failure." the man replied. "All the traffic lights just went dead. Whole place is having a massive brownout, no one can explain it." Henry looked past the man, and saw that there was a massive pileup of cars. No-one looked to be badly hurt, but there were a lot of cracked bumpers, wrecked taillights, and horns being honked. Not to mention a few words being hurled that Henry was sure he wasn't supposed to be hearing yet.
Terriermon peeked around the wall. "Henry! I think there's a digimon nearby!"
==Mountains
"So, there's no evil digimon where you come from? No need to fight?" Rika asked.
"No," Hitomi answered, "there are still some troubles. Some of it is from the Dark Ocean, where a lot of really powerful evil digimon live. Sometimes, trouble just appears out of nowhere. Ryoko and Hiroki are off in another digital world, fighting an evil digimon there with the digidestined native to that world. And the other digidestined I know always seem to be rushing off into some sort of adventure. Usually, it's a pokemon journey, but sometimes, they fight, too."
Rika was intrigued. "Oh?"
Hitomi nodded. "Well, one adventure happened about a year ago. It was when Eevee chose me to be his partner, and Aunt Kari was kidnapped by some evil digimon..."
"Rika! Hitomi!" Rumiko yelled from the house. "Lunch is ready! I made it myself, come on in before it cools off!"
Rika shook her head. "In mom's case, that might be an improvement." she muttered. "Tell me about it after lunch, alright? You need to practice."
"Practice what?"
Rika smirked. "You have some potential as a Tamer, but you're still hopeless at the card game. I think I can teach you a few tricks."
==Matsuki Bakery.
Yoshie walked over to the entrance to the bakery. "Takato? That order done yet?"
"Just about mom! No, Jeri, put that over there to cool off first. That's it."
Nervous, Yoshie glanced at her husband. "Is this wise? Takato's not old enough to-"
"He'll be just fine." Takehiro replied, smiling. "I don't think he'll do anything improper. You've raised him too well. Even if you won't let him have a pet."
"He's too young for the responsibility!"
"Yoshie." Takehiro replied. "Trust him. Once our son grows out of this silly digimon thing, I'm sure he'll be a well adjusted boy." The lights chose that moment to go out. "Takato? what happened?"
"I don't know!" Takato answered, still a bit startled. "All the power just went off."
"Well, turn off the gas, alright? I'll go check the circuit breakers."
In the bakery, the two children looked around. "Takato?" Jeri asked, a bit nervous.
"One sec...OW!" There was a sharp bang as Takato's head hit the underside of the countertop. "Well, the gas is off."
"Are you alright?" Jeri made her way over to Takato. There was a small window in the far wall, but it wasn't letting much light in.
Caught in a dark room with Jeri, Takato thought. There are worse things...a bright light being shone into the kitchen interrupted Takato's thoughts. "Takato?" his mother asked. "What was that noise?"
"Ms. Matsuki!" Jeri answered. "Takato hit his head on the counter when he was turning the gas off!"
"I'm fine mom, really..." Perfect timing, Takato thought sourly.
==
Henry's cellphone rang. "Dad? Yeah, I know. Terriermon's with me, and he thinks there's a digimon involved, so I'm going to have a look. I promise I'll be careful. Right, see you later."
"Well?"
"Dad says that Hypnos is still offline, so they can't tell us anything, and the streets are blocked off, so Takato and Jeri can't get to us. Looks like it's just you and me."
Terriermon shrugged. "Eh, no problem. What are we fighting?"
"No idea; without power, they can't use the scanner to determine the type of digimon. we're facing. Or how many. They did get a report that there's some trouble near the power plant."
"As long as someone knows where we're going. So, how far is it to the plant?"
"Don't ask. With all this traffic, the buses are going to be useless."
"Hen-ry!" Terriermon complained.
"Moumantai and keep running." Henry panted.
==Mountains
"No....not like that!" Rika groaned. "How can someone who's spent all her life around digimon be so..."
"Hopeless?" Hitomi supplied. "I'm sorry, I-"
"WHAT did I say about apologizing?" Rika demanded, getting a small 'eep' out of her student.
Nami and Rumiko watched the two from the cabin. "It's so nice to see them getting along." Rumiko said cheerfully. "Normally, Rika just ignores everyone except for mom. She's been like that since Shirow left us. If it wasn't for mom, I don't know what I'd have done."
Nami leaned back. "Well, you are on about a third of the billboards in town. I'd say you've done alright for yourself."
"I know. I just wish I could...connect with Rika, you know? Sometimes, I feel like we're two completely different people."
If you only knew, Nami thought. Above her, Noctowl was resting on the roof of the house. Idly, she reached over and turned on the radio.
"-and we have an update on the city-wide blackout that happened just a few hours ago. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the power failure, only saying that they are currently investigating the crisis..."
==Tokyo
"I think we're close." Henry said.
"Humans can sense digimon too? You never told me!" Terriermon answered, looking around.
"No, but I do know a digital field when I see one!" Putting his sunglasses on, Henry ran through. On an impulse, he took his cellphone out and called his father. "Dad? There's a digital field here, Terriermon and I are going to check it out."
The connection was very poor here; Henry supposed that it was due to the digital field. "Hen...can't get...to or Je...t for th...click"
"That made no sense." Terriermon grumbled. "Can you get your girlfriend on that?"
"Alice is not my girlfriend!" Henry snapped. "This isn't the time, just start looking for that digimon, alright?"
"Alright, geez." Terriermon muttered, searching ahead a bit. "I think there's a digimon deep in the plant. He must be what's causing the blackout. Too bad Renamon or Gabumon isn't here. They seem to know all about these Devas."
"We'll quiz them later." Henry answered, taking out a card. "I'd better evolve you now, just in case whatever's in there knows we're coming. Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!"
"Terriermon, digivolve to...Gargomon!" Tamer and digimon stepped ahead, waiting for some monster to come out and attack them. Idly, Henry fingered an Offense Plug in card, just in case Gargomon needed the extra power. "Hey, Henry? Did you ever find one of those blue card thingies?"
"No." Henry replied. "Nothing in my collection. Or online, anywhere. I even emailed that one guy with the giant online card index, and he's never heard of a blue card like the one we saw." He glanced at his D-Arc. "You don't think it's something to do with our digivices, do you?"
"You're asking me?" Suddenly, Gargomon stopped, and aimed one of his gun arms down a hallway. "Alright, come on out!" Slowly, two figures stepped out of a room.
Henry recognized them. "Alice? What are you doing here? Labramon?"
"We felt the disturbance too." Labramon replied. "Alice and I decided to investigate."
"We can-" Henry started to reply.
"Hey, the more the merrier." Gargomon interrupted. "You sure you can keep up, Labramon?" The small dog nodded, expression serious (Neat trick on such a cute little puppy -ed).
"Gargomon." Henry hissed. "We can handle this. How do we know if Labramon can fight? We don't know how badly digivolving to his ultimate form drained him."
"Moumantai." Gargomon whispered back. "Just loan Alice an evolution card, and we're all set."
"But she...I mean, they might get hurt in here!"
"Awww..." Gargomon teased. "You do care."
Listening in, Alice was momentarily annoyed, then let it pass. Boys, she thought to herself. She walked by, heading deeper into the plant. "Labramon and I can take care of ourselves."
"No, wait!"
"Smooth move, Romeo."
Henry resisted the urge to scream. I'm going to have an ulcer by 15, he decided.
==Mountains
Rika slumped down on her bed, thoroughly annoyed. "That girl is hopeless." she muttered. She glanced out the window, and saw her playing a game of cards with Eevee. "I don't believe it, even her partner is beating her!"
"She is trying." her grandmother said, walking into the room. "Not everyone can be as good as you are."
"I know." Rika replied. "But...she knows the rules, but she just can't seem to..." Rika trailed off with a sigh. "I guess I'll never make it as a teacher." she said.
"Give it a few years." Yuka replied. "Where's your friend, Renamon? I don't see her around our home much."
"Renamon had some bad news about a friend." Rika replied. "It's to do with the reason digimon are attacking Tokyo."
"I see. Well, I don't have any advice I can offer, Rika. But, promise me this?" Rika nodded. "The next time you see Renamon, tell her that she's welcome to come inside the house. It gets lonely in there when you're at school and your mother is working. I promise, I won't tell Rumiko anything. Why don't you play with Hitomi for a while? I think her digimon friend is busy beating her at that card game." Curious, Rika glanced out the window.
Outside, Hitomi groaned as Eevee defeated the last of her digimon. "Looks like I win again, kid." he said as Hitomi discarded the last card in her hand. "So, for my dinner tonight, let's say some barbecued fish, and a little salt for seasoning. Oh, and make sure the skin's removed. And the bones."
"?" Was all Hitomi could manage.
"You'll have stir-fry like everyone else." Nami interrupted, walking over. "Honestly, how could you take advantage of her like that?"
Noctowl landed by the porch and hooted loudly. "Hey, I like vegetables!" Eevee protested
"What about that tantrum you threw when dad gave you that carrot for lunch?" Hitomi asked.
"It wasn't a tantrum, it was a legitimate complaint! Pokemon can't live on...on...rabbit food!"
"Eat your veggies." Nami commanded. "Dinner's in three hours, and I'd better see a clean plate, mister."
From the trees, Renamon watched the exchange. Bemused, she shook her head and looked to the sky. "Antylamon." she whispered. "What happened?"
==Tokyo power plant
"In here." Labramon said. "This is where the digimon is." Beside him, Gargomon nodded. "Alice, get ready, I may have to digivolve." Alice took out a card, ready to use it. "One, two, three...NOW!" Gargomon and Labramon burst through the door. They were now in what looked like the main control room, overlooking the massive generators that powered this part of the city. One of the windows was smashed, and, on the floor below, they spotted the digimon they were looking for.
Gargomon summed up the situation best. "A giant chicken?"
"So it would seem." Labramon nodded. "And he is drawing power out of the generators. That would explain the blackout."
Alice looked at her digivice. "Sinduramon, ultimate level Deva digimon. Should we try to get the others here?"
"Nahh, I don't buy that silly 'only ultimate digimon can beat ultimate digimon' stuff on TV." Gargomon answered. "Wish me luck!" With that, he jumped down.
Labramon glanced at Alice, who was already slashing a card through her digivice. "Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!"
"Labramon, digivolve to...Dobermon!" The two digimon landed on the floor. "What are you doing here?"
The digimon turned around slowly. It resembled a rooster, now that the humans and digimon got a really good look at it. It had the head of a rooster, and the wings, but they were placed on a spherical metal body, which had a strange rod with three prongs at each end on its back. "Who dares challenge the Deva of Thunder, Sinduramon?"
"We do." Dobermon replied. "You are not welcome here, Deva. Leave or we will deal with you."
"Yeah!" Gargomon added, aiming one of his hand cannons at the Deva. "Now take a hike or it's all you can eat chicken wings for everyone!"
"Hmph." Sinduramon answered. "Normally, a Deva such as myself would not have to deal with such pathetic digimon like you. Back in the Digital World, I have Numemon serving me that are stronger than you."
"A shame this isn't the digital world." Dobermon replied. He charged forward, teeth bared.
Henry pulled a card out, got ready to slash it, then stopped. "How...?" In his hands was a blue card, just like the one Takato had used. "Well, here goes. Digi-modify! Matrix digivolution, activate!"
Nothing happened.
==Mountains
Rika walked down to the lake, following the path Hitomi had taken after losing the last card game. She finally spotted her, down by the edge of the water, hunched over her sketchpad, in the middle of drawing something. Hitomi looked up, hearing Rika approach. "Oh, hello Rika."
Rika nodded. "So, the plush toy cleaned you out? After everything I taught you, too."
Hitomi's face fell. "I know, I'm sorry-"
"Cut it out!" Rika interrupted, making Hitomi jump. "Okay, you know what your problem is? You're not aggressive enough. You always wait for someone else to start something, and then you just react to it. You'll never win at Digimon Card that way." Hitomi opened her mouth to respond. "And if the next two words out of your mouth are 'I'm sorry', then...then you really will be sorry!" Rika grinned a bit as she saw a flicker of anger pass over Hitomi's face. "Good," she said, confusing Hitomi, "I was starting to wonder if you could get angry."
"I...I don't understand." Hitomi replied uncertainly.
"Like I said, you're too nice, and that's like having the word 'doormat' tattooed on your head. What's your family like?" Confused by the apparent change of subject, Hitomi told her all about her parents, her life at home, and her friends. Rika nodded. "Okay. Can I be honest?" Hitomi nodded. "I think you're a little spoiled. Not in a bad way," Rika amended, seeing horror creep over Hitomi's face, "but it sounds like you're used to having everyone else take care of you. Trust me, the only person you can rely on is yourself."
"What about Renamon?" Hitomi asked, a bit pointedly.
"Alright, your digimon partner too." Rika sighed. "Look, my dad ran off when I was little, and my mom's always off on some stupid modeling assignment. The school counselor gave me the whole spiel about having trouble opening up to others." So why am I opening up to her, she wondered.
==
"HENRY!" Gargomon roared. "I could use that blue card right now!"
"It's not working!" Henry yelled back, swiping the card over and over. Growling, he tossed the card aside, and took out another card. "Digi-Modify! Metal armor activate!" Instantly, Gargomon's body was covered in silvery metal. Henry glanced around, but didn't see Alice. Must have gone to get a better vantage point, he decided.
"Fool!" Sinduramon crowed. He fired a bolt of electricity, which glanced off of Gargomon. "Your pathetic abilities are no match for the lord of sky and thunder! Even if that metal will not conduct my power, I can still melt it and you into a small pile of slag!" With a cry, the rooster Deva fired another bolt at Gargomon, completely forgetting about Dobermon.
"Darkness!" A field of black covered Sinduramon, blinding him, allowing Dobermon a chance to attack. "AND LIGHT!" Claws and teeth glowing silver-white, Dobermon jumped onto the Deva, trying to maul the digimon. However, his bites and swipes skittered off the metallic body of Sinduramon. "I can't break his armor!"
"No one can! Treasure Pestle!" With a swing, Dobermon was knocked clear, landing unconscious a few yards away. "You will pay for your arrogant presumption, fallen one!" The Deva stepped forward, ignoring Gargomon's attacks, ready to finish off Dobermon.
With a gasp, Henry saw Alice run out of a doorway, and try to pull Dobermon clear. "Alice!" he called. "Get out of there! ALICE! Gargomon, get him!"
"I'm trying!" Gargomon shouted, still firing. "But I can't do much without a can opener!"
Henry tried to fight down his panic. I have to draw him away from Alice and Dobermon..."Digi-modify! Double Dark shot, activate!"
"Waaahhh-HOOO!" Gargomon yelled. "Double Dark Shot!" Two missiles appeared on Gargomon's back, launched, and struck Sinduramon, driving him into the generators. With a wild cry, Sinduramon was wreathed in flames as the generators exploded around him.
Leaving the control room, Henry picked up the discarded blue card, and ran down the stairs, over to where Alice and Dobermon were. "Are you alright?"
Alice nodded, getting up. "We are fine." Dobermon said, emphasizing the 'we', and getting a faint blush out of Henry.
"That generator's toast." Gargomon added, walking over. "Looks like your allowance is gonna get docked for the next century or so." He stopped, looking at the generator again. "Oh no..."
Sinduramon, now three times as large, and still growing, burst out of the wreckage. "I am the lord of thunder!" he proclaimed. "None shall defeat me!" He started launching energy bolts, forcing everyone to jump clear. As he dodged, Henry felt a searing pain rip through him. Instinctively, he rolled, came up behind some wreckage, and looked at the source of his pain.
Where his pack of cards and their leather carrying case was, there was only soot. Gargomon ran over to him. "Okay, we just use another Dark shot card and...ahhhh nuts!" Gargomon trailed off, seeing what had happened. Henry winced as he tried to stand. "Okay, new plan. you stay here, and I clobber 'Mr. Eleven herbs and spices'."
"But-"
"No buts! Think of it as a good chance to score points with your girlfriend!" Gargomon smirked, and ran into the battle.
"She's not..." Henry protested, but trailed off. He lifted his hand, and realized he still held the blue card in it. "Some use this is. Why were Takato and Alice able to evolve their digimon? Why can't I?" He winced as he stood up, and saw Gargomon dodging lightning bolts from Sinduramon. A pair of arms helped him up. "Alice?" As he spoke, he saw Dobermon join the fight.
Alice nodded. "You're hurt. We have to get you out of here, and try to get Jeri and Takato here to help. Sinduramon's too strong for us now. Without a blue card, I can't evolve Dobermon back to Black Were Garurumon."
Henry looked up. "Who says we need it?" he said suddenly. Confused, Alice glanced at him. "The digidestined on TV didn't need their crests, maybe our cards are just focuses, like the crests."
"But that's a TV show!" Alice replied. "It doesn't..." suddenly, she realized where Henry was going. "Hitomi." she whispered.
Henry nodded. "Help me up." he said. Alice helped him stand, while Henry concentrated. "Hitomi said that a digivice represents the bond between a tamer and a digimon. It, and our cards, allows us to help our digimon." As he spoke, the blue card glinted, as if responding. Henry's D-Arc glowed. "Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
"Gargomon, Matrix Digivolve to...RAPIDMON!"
"It worked!" Alice gasped. As she watched, the blue colour on the card faded, revealing a normal card. "You used a Terriermon card?"
"It must have changed when I pulled it out of my card pack." Henry answered. "But I was so focussed on the card, I never thought about the power that made it work."
"I don't know what you did!" Rapidmon yelled. "But I love it! Bring it on, sparky!" With a mad cry, Sinduramon's beak snapped out, trying to bite Rapidmon in two. "Whoops, too slow! Nope, not there! Missed again! Boy, your pecking's not up to scratch, is it?"
"Do not mock one of the Devas, worm!" Sinduramon started to call up another lightning blast, but his head was suddenly wrapped in darkness.
"Thanks!" Rapidmon called to Dobermon. "Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon fired off a barrage of shots, all striking Sinduramon, forcing him out of the power plant (now much the worse for wear -ed). "Okay, you can pay for the wall, rooster-boy! But first, how about a hand?" he reached forward, grabbed the Deva by the wing and, swinging him around several times, flung him into the air. "Tri-Beam!" With a final cry, Sinduramon was annihilated by the beam.
==2 hours later.
Janyu frowned as he checked the bandage on Henry's side. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't more serious. But you should be more careful, you could have been paralyzed."
"I'm sorry."
Janyu sighed. "Well, at least it wasn't serious. But your mother is going to have kittens when she sees that. And about the power plant..."
Henry groaned. "Ah nuts..."
==Mountains, that night.
Hitomi closed her notebook, then climbed into bed. "You okay, kid?" Eevee asked. Noctowl was perched on a chair by the window, which was cracked slightly. Hitomi shivered slightly, as a slight gust of cold air came in through the window. "Look, I don't know what Rika said to you, but you've been quiet ever since dinner." His eyes narrowed. "If she-"
"No, Eevee." Hitomi replied. "Am I...am I timid?"
Eevee blinked, confused. "Uh, maybe a little, why?"
"Well, Rika says that's why I'm no good at the card game."
"So? It's just a dumb card game. I like you the way you are." Eevee repressed a shudder. "You're not thinking of becoming like her, are you? Because trust me, you can't scowl convincingly."
"I can't?" Hitomi replied. Outside, Renamon leaned nearer the window, silently amused by the conversation.
"I don't want to be completely like Rika." Hitomi went on. "I just want to be as strong as she is." She looked out the window. "I don't want to go through my life relying on other people to save me. It seems like that's all that ever happens."
"Hey, who helped me digivolve into Jolteon? Who helped me kick Renamon's tail the second week we were here?"
Hitomi smiled. "Still..."
Eevee sighed. "Alright, alright. You want to be stronger, I'll help. But promise me you won't start wearing jeans and saying how stupid everything is, alright? Your mom'd kill me."
==An hour later
Dressed for bed, Rika checked on Hitomi (sound asleep, Eevee napping beside her pillow), then opened the window and looked out. "Are you alright?" she asked Renamon, sitting on the roof to the left of the window.
Renamon nodded. "Yes. Are you? Eevee nearly went off, when he heard you say Hitomi was spoiled. Perhaps sheltered would have been a better word?"
"Maybe. She's got the potential, but she's just so...timid sometimes." Rika looked at Renamon. "Are you okay? With maybe having to fight Antylamon in the future?"
"I do not know. Antylamon and I were close, but that was some time ago. What has changed, I do not know." Renamon looked over Rika's shoulder, looking at Eevee and Hitomi. "I think she will do well. I think she is...taken with you, as your grandmother might say." Rika mumbled, not sure how to take that. "My usage may be incorrect, but I did see her drawing something just before she came in for dinner. It's in her book under her bed."
Curious, Rika silently padded over and took the sketch pad out. She flipped through the first few pages, then saw the last illustration. It was a sketch of Rika, just after slashing a card through her D-arc.
"She got my hair wrong." Rika replied, closing the book and placing it back under Hitomi's bed. "Not too bad, though."
Next Episode:
Vajramon, one of the last uncorrupted Devas, comes through a portal with a dire warning: two more Devas have come through, both seeking Calumon. But when the fight starts, Renamon discovers that one of the Devas is none other than Antylamon! Can Renamon fight her old friend? Next time on Digicross Tamers:
-'Friend versus Tamer...Taomon, decide!'
Rumiko Nonaka smiled, completely oblivious to the incredulous look her own daughter was giving her. "Please, why don't you come with us, Hitomi? I know this nice little place in the mountains with a lake and a nice house to sleep in with running water and proper beds."
Nami smiled a bit. "Go ahead, Hitomi. The school's going to be closed for repairs until Tuesday."
"Oh, you can come too, Nami, I insist! After that dreadful monster appeared and started smashing up everything, you should get some sort of vacation! Oh, you two must have been terrified." Nami nodded helplessly.
"Then it's settled." Rumiko declared. "Pack your swimsuits, we'll leave tomorrow!"
"Umm..." Hitomi answered, a bit hesitant. "I don't have a swimsuit."
"You don't? Well, then, we'll have to get you one!" Eagerly, Rumiko grabbed Hitomi by the arm and dragged her into the nearest store, leaving Nami and Rika behind.
Well, Rika thought, it could have been me.
==
Digicross Tamers episode 18
'Colonel Sinduramon, Original Recipe.'
==
Janyu Wong sat at the computer terminal, face grim. "So," Terriermon piped up, "how bad is it? We did just beat the bad guys, right? Um...we did, right?" Standing beside his father, Henry tried to fight the feeling of dread that had been building since he and Terriermon had been called in.
"Vikaralamon and Makuramon, yes. But there's a bigger problem." Janyu indicated his computer screen. "Yamaki designed the Juggernaut system to act as a sort of digital vaccuum, sucking up all the digimon over a given area and destroy them."
"Yeah." Henry nodded. "But I thought it was shut down."
"Makuramon was able to reactivate it and modify the program. Instead of pulling digimon into it, the new Juggernaut system is able to create portals to the digital world, allowing powerful digimon to come through."
"They couldn't before?" Terriermon asked.
"No. The stronger the digimon is, the more power is needed to get through the barrier separating the two worlds. But we're getting away from the real problem, specifically that the barrier is still open."
Henry gasped. "But I thought that you and the others managed to shut down Makuramon's program!"
"We did," Janyu replied sadly, "but Makuramon's modified Juggernaut managed to punch several holes in the wall dividing our two worlds, and those holes are still there."
"How many?"
Janyu shrugged. "Maybe fifteen, maybe only five, there's no way to tell. We can't really detect them until some digimon uses it to come through. You'd better let the other tamers know about this; it's possible that another of these Devas might come through seeking revenge for Vikaralamon and Makuramon."
"Great." Henry groaned.
==Park, late afternoon
Henry finished telling everyone there what his father had found out. "So, we could be facing even more Devas?" Jeri asked. "Makuramon and Vikaralamon were bad enough."
"Hey, we did manage to beat two of them." Takato replied. "Of course, I haven't been able to find another blue card since Guilmon Matrix Digivolved. Come to think of it, I don't remember putting one in my deck, either."
"When Calumon released that energy after Makuramon attacked him," Hitomi said, "it must have changed one of your cards. How is Calumon?"
Rika shrugged. "See for yourself. He's still flying around. He is talking to himself a lot though."
Renamon nodded. "Unown's consciousness must have survived its merger with Calumon."
Hitomi nodded, shoulders sagging a bit. "Hey, don't worry!" Jeri said. "I'm sure we can get you home. Hey, why not use that Juggernaut program to open a door to Hitomi's world?"
"Without knowing where Hitomi's home is, it'd be too risky." Henry replied. "We might open a door to someplace worse."
"Yeah," Takato agreed, "like that skin switching world."
Rika sighed. "Gogglehead." she muttered.
"So, what do you know about the Devas, Gabumon?" Jeri asked.
Gabumon sighed, then began. "The twelve Devas serve the Digimon Sovereign, the four strongest digimon in the Digital World. Makuramon and Vikaralamon you know. The other ten are Chatsuramon, Khumbiramon, Indramon, Vajramon, Pajiramon, Majiramon, Sinduramon, Sandiramon, Mihiramon, and Antylamon."
Renamon stood up. "Antylamon would never be like them." she replied, a bit forcefully.
Gabumon looked confused. "I am sorry, but she and Majiramon were the last two digimon that I fought before I came to this world."
"I do not accept that." Renamon answered, getting up and leaving. Rika quickly got up and followed her partner.
"Huh?" Jeri wondered, confused by Renamon's behaviour.
Takato decided to change the subject back to the Devas. "So, there's 12 of them to fight?"
"I do not know. I have heard that some of them are still free, and fight against their brethren. But I do not know which ones."
==Saturday, Matsuki bakery.
"Boy, some people have all the luck." Takato griped. He had learned last night that Hitomi and Rika would be away for the weekend, taking a vacation in the mountains. He, on the other hand, was stuck in the kitchen, making bread. The store had been emptied yesterday by people eager to leave the city, and Takato was pressed into service that morning. "I get a vacation from school, and I get drafted into bread duty. At least Guilmon isn't here. There isn't enough bread in the city to fill him up." He decided to vent his frustrations on the latest batch of dough, kneading it furiously. "Now, where did I put the flour?"
"Here." Without thinking, Takato took the small can of flour, and sprinkled it on the dough. After a second, he realized that he knew that voice. "Jeri?"
Jeri smiled brightly, and Takato noticed that she had put on a spare apron and hairnet. "My parents came over to do some shopping, and I heard you were stuck in here for the day. So I thought I'd come help out. If you don't mind."
"Mind? Me? No, go right ahead, Jeri." Takato answered, hoping that he didn't look like a total goof (He did -ed).
Takato's dad glanced into the kitchen, saw the two working, and went back to the shop, smiling. "Yeah, he's gone all goofy. So what do we do about it?"
Jeri's stepmom shrugged. "Well, Takato is a sweet boy, and I think I can trust him with my daughter."
"I don't know. If Yoshie found out about this, she'd pack Takato away to Hokkaido or something."
"Satoshi's the same way. So, my order will be done in about two hours?"
==Mountains.
It was cold in the lake, but Hitomi found that she didn't mind too much. She swam for a few minutes, then made her way back to the small dock where Rika was sitting. Hitomi climbed out of the water, shivering. "Thanks." she said as Rika handed her a towel. 'Are you going to go for a swim?"
Rika looked over the lake, remembering. I haven't swum since..." she stopped, frowning. "...in a long time." she amended, voice hard.
"I...I'm sorry!" Hitomi answered.
Rika groaned. "Will you QUIT apologizing, already?" Hitomi stammered, trying to reply. "Oh for...look, it's not your fault, alright? I just don't want to talk about it." Hitomi nodded, and the two sat on the dock, both awkwardly silent.
Finally, Rika spoke up. "Hey, tell me about your world. Are there a lot of digimon battles there?"
Hitomi shook her head. "Not like here; the battles back home are formalized now, and never to the death of a pokemon or digimon. Mom runs the Pokemon Gym in my home town, she's won a lot of battles with her pokemon and her partner, Elecmon."
"And you're next in line?"
"No." Hitomi answered. "I don't really like battling, except when I have to. I want to become a Monster Watcher, travel the world, and see lots of pokemon and digimon."
"And Akira?"
"Like I said before, I haven't seen her in years. I talked to her again a few days before we came here; she and her Renamon are really into dance. But her mom and dad are part of the Elite Four."
Rika blinked. "The who?"
"The Elite Four; they're a group of really skilled pokemon trainers, the best in the world. Akira's parents, Caryl Kyashi and Ryo Akiyama, are two of them. Miss Kyashi has a Renamon as well, she's more like the Renamon that you're partners with. I think you might like Miss Kyashi. She's a really good battler, like you are."
==
Renamon glanced from the tree branch she was standing on. "They seem to be getting along well."
Eevee shrugged. "Eh, they're not killing each other; that's good enough for me."
"Rika is not as cold-hearted as you think she is." Renamon replied. "She..." Renamon stopped abruptly.
"'She' what?" Eevee asked. "Come on, don't leave me hanging here."
"I have already said too much. I will not reveal what I know."
Eevee sighed, exasperated. "Come on. I promise I won't tell anyone. Not even Noctowl."
Renamon looked away for a moment, then looked at Eevee. "Rika's father left her and her mother; it was a few years before I came to this world. Rika...didn't take it too well."
Eevee nodded. "Fair enough."
Renamon looked at Eevee, curious. "That's it? No snide comebacks?"
"Do I look like Terriermon? I do know the value of discretion, thank you."
Renamon looked at Eevee again. "You are not much like Hitomi. She seems a bit more..."
"Shy? Yeah. All her friends got their partner monsters when they were born; but I didn't meet Hitomi until just over a year ago. From what I hear, she got teased a lot before that."
"Oh?"
"Yeah. Well, both her folks are...well, they were the first digidestined. I think she felt like she was living in their shadow or something." Eevee smiled a bit. "Not that Kyle would let her stay miserable; if it wasn't for June, I think he'd have spoiled Hitomi rotten."
==Tokyo Park
Henry sighed, watching Terriermon playing with Guilmon and Calumon. Normally, he'd be playing with Terriermon as well (well, more like keeping him out of trouble. -ed), but his father's news had cast a pall over everything. It seemed like every shadow held a Deva, ready to attack. Renamon's reaction to Gabumon's information was troubling him too. "I wonder if she knew Antylamon before she came here." Henry mused.
"Hey, Henry!" Terriermon yelled. "Wanna help me find Calumon?" Henry didn't respond. Curious, Terriermon wandered over. "Henry? Hello?" Still nothing. "HENRY!"
"GAAH!" Henry yelped, jumping. "Don't do that!"
"Well, you were spacing out, what was I supposed to do? Tell Guilmon there was a hamburger in your socks?"
"Don't you dare." Henry replied evenly. "I'm just thinking about what dad told me."
"About the Devas? Moumantai, Henry. I'll just digivolve and send 'em running, no problem."
"How? When Doberman and Growlmon digivolved to Black WereGarurumon and WarGrowlmon, they used blue cards to power the evolution; I've checked all my cards, and I haven't found anything that matches that kind of card."
"Not even a Blue Meramon?"
"Funny, Terriermon, real funny." Henry slumped down on the bench. "And we don't even know why they're coming here." He had tried asking Calumon directly, but that hadn't worked. Calumon knew (now) that he had the power to digivolve other digimon, and that the Devas were after him for that power, but little else. "Any sign of Impmon?"
Terriermon shook his head. "Not yet. Maybe Rika, Hitomi, and your girlfriend scared them off."
"Will you just quit it?" Henry growled. In the distance there was a huge crashing noise. Curious, Henry got up and ran to one of the park entrances. "What happened?" he asked a passerby.
"Power failure." the man replied. "All the traffic lights just went dead. Whole place is having a massive brownout, no one can explain it." Henry looked past the man, and saw that there was a massive pileup of cars. No-one looked to be badly hurt, but there were a lot of cracked bumpers, wrecked taillights, and horns being honked. Not to mention a few words being hurled that Henry was sure he wasn't supposed to be hearing yet.
Terriermon peeked around the wall. "Henry! I think there's a digimon nearby!"
==Mountains
"So, there's no evil digimon where you come from? No need to fight?" Rika asked.
"No," Hitomi answered, "there are still some troubles. Some of it is from the Dark Ocean, where a lot of really powerful evil digimon live. Sometimes, trouble just appears out of nowhere. Ryoko and Hiroki are off in another digital world, fighting an evil digimon there with the digidestined native to that world. And the other digidestined I know always seem to be rushing off into some sort of adventure. Usually, it's a pokemon journey, but sometimes, they fight, too."
Rika was intrigued. "Oh?"
Hitomi nodded. "Well, one adventure happened about a year ago. It was when Eevee chose me to be his partner, and Aunt Kari was kidnapped by some evil digimon..."
"Rika! Hitomi!" Rumiko yelled from the house. "Lunch is ready! I made it myself, come on in before it cools off!"
Rika shook her head. "In mom's case, that might be an improvement." she muttered. "Tell me about it after lunch, alright? You need to practice."
"Practice what?"
Rika smirked. "You have some potential as a Tamer, but you're still hopeless at the card game. I think I can teach you a few tricks."
==Matsuki Bakery.
Yoshie walked over to the entrance to the bakery. "Takato? That order done yet?"
"Just about mom! No, Jeri, put that over there to cool off first. That's it."
Nervous, Yoshie glanced at her husband. "Is this wise? Takato's not old enough to-"
"He'll be just fine." Takehiro replied, smiling. "I don't think he'll do anything improper. You've raised him too well. Even if you won't let him have a pet."
"He's too young for the responsibility!"
"Yoshie." Takehiro replied. "Trust him. Once our son grows out of this silly digimon thing, I'm sure he'll be a well adjusted boy." The lights chose that moment to go out. "Takato? what happened?"
"I don't know!" Takato answered, still a bit startled. "All the power just went off."
"Well, turn off the gas, alright? I'll go check the circuit breakers."
In the bakery, the two children looked around. "Takato?" Jeri asked, a bit nervous.
"One sec...OW!" There was a sharp bang as Takato's head hit the underside of the countertop. "Well, the gas is off."
"Are you alright?" Jeri made her way over to Takato. There was a small window in the far wall, but it wasn't letting much light in.
Caught in a dark room with Jeri, Takato thought. There are worse things...a bright light being shone into the kitchen interrupted Takato's thoughts. "Takato?" his mother asked. "What was that noise?"
"Ms. Matsuki!" Jeri answered. "Takato hit his head on the counter when he was turning the gas off!"
"I'm fine mom, really..." Perfect timing, Takato thought sourly.
==
Henry's cellphone rang. "Dad? Yeah, I know. Terriermon's with me, and he thinks there's a digimon involved, so I'm going to have a look. I promise I'll be careful. Right, see you later."
"Well?"
"Dad says that Hypnos is still offline, so they can't tell us anything, and the streets are blocked off, so Takato and Jeri can't get to us. Looks like it's just you and me."
Terriermon shrugged. "Eh, no problem. What are we fighting?"
"No idea; without power, they can't use the scanner to determine the type of digimon. we're facing. Or how many. They did get a report that there's some trouble near the power plant."
"As long as someone knows where we're going. So, how far is it to the plant?"
"Don't ask. With all this traffic, the buses are going to be useless."
"Hen-ry!" Terriermon complained.
"Moumantai and keep running." Henry panted.
==Mountains
"No....not like that!" Rika groaned. "How can someone who's spent all her life around digimon be so..."
"Hopeless?" Hitomi supplied. "I'm sorry, I-"
"WHAT did I say about apologizing?" Rika demanded, getting a small 'eep' out of her student.
Nami and Rumiko watched the two from the cabin. "It's so nice to see them getting along." Rumiko said cheerfully. "Normally, Rika just ignores everyone except for mom. She's been like that since Shirow left us. If it wasn't for mom, I don't know what I'd have done."
Nami leaned back. "Well, you are on about a third of the billboards in town. I'd say you've done alright for yourself."
"I know. I just wish I could...connect with Rika, you know? Sometimes, I feel like we're two completely different people."
If you only knew, Nami thought. Above her, Noctowl was resting on the roof of the house. Idly, she reached over and turned on the radio.
"-and we have an update on the city-wide blackout that happened just a few hours ago. Officials are still trying to determine the cause of the power failure, only saying that they are currently investigating the crisis..."
==Tokyo
"I think we're close." Henry said.
"Humans can sense digimon too? You never told me!" Terriermon answered, looking around.
"No, but I do know a digital field when I see one!" Putting his sunglasses on, Henry ran through. On an impulse, he took his cellphone out and called his father. "Dad? There's a digital field here, Terriermon and I are going to check it out."
The connection was very poor here; Henry supposed that it was due to the digital field. "Hen...can't get...to or Je...t for th...click"
"That made no sense." Terriermon grumbled. "Can you get your girlfriend on that?"
"Alice is not my girlfriend!" Henry snapped. "This isn't the time, just start looking for that digimon, alright?"
"Alright, geez." Terriermon muttered, searching ahead a bit. "I think there's a digimon deep in the plant. He must be what's causing the blackout. Too bad Renamon or Gabumon isn't here. They seem to know all about these Devas."
"We'll quiz them later." Henry answered, taking out a card. "I'd better evolve you now, just in case whatever's in there knows we're coming. Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!"
"Terriermon, digivolve to...Gargomon!" Tamer and digimon stepped ahead, waiting for some monster to come out and attack them. Idly, Henry fingered an Offense Plug in card, just in case Gargomon needed the extra power. "Hey, Henry? Did you ever find one of those blue card thingies?"
"No." Henry replied. "Nothing in my collection. Or online, anywhere. I even emailed that one guy with the giant online card index, and he's never heard of a blue card like the one we saw." He glanced at his D-Arc. "You don't think it's something to do with our digivices, do you?"
"You're asking me?" Suddenly, Gargomon stopped, and aimed one of his gun arms down a hallway. "Alright, come on out!" Slowly, two figures stepped out of a room.
Henry recognized them. "Alice? What are you doing here? Labramon?"
"We felt the disturbance too." Labramon replied. "Alice and I decided to investigate."
"We can-" Henry started to reply.
"Hey, the more the merrier." Gargomon interrupted. "You sure you can keep up, Labramon?" The small dog nodded, expression serious (Neat trick on such a cute little puppy -ed).
"Gargomon." Henry hissed. "We can handle this. How do we know if Labramon can fight? We don't know how badly digivolving to his ultimate form drained him."
"Moumantai." Gargomon whispered back. "Just loan Alice an evolution card, and we're all set."
"But she...I mean, they might get hurt in here!"
"Awww..." Gargomon teased. "You do care."
Listening in, Alice was momentarily annoyed, then let it pass. Boys, she thought to herself. She walked by, heading deeper into the plant. "Labramon and I can take care of ourselves."
"No, wait!"
"Smooth move, Romeo."
Henry resisted the urge to scream. I'm going to have an ulcer by 15, he decided.
==Mountains
Rika slumped down on her bed, thoroughly annoyed. "That girl is hopeless." she muttered. She glanced out the window, and saw her playing a game of cards with Eevee. "I don't believe it, even her partner is beating her!"
"She is trying." her grandmother said, walking into the room. "Not everyone can be as good as you are."
"I know." Rika replied. "But...she knows the rules, but she just can't seem to..." Rika trailed off with a sigh. "I guess I'll never make it as a teacher." she said.
"Give it a few years." Yuka replied. "Where's your friend, Renamon? I don't see her around our home much."
"Renamon had some bad news about a friend." Rika replied. "It's to do with the reason digimon are attacking Tokyo."
"I see. Well, I don't have any advice I can offer, Rika. But, promise me this?" Rika nodded. "The next time you see Renamon, tell her that she's welcome to come inside the house. It gets lonely in there when you're at school and your mother is working. I promise, I won't tell Rumiko anything. Why don't you play with Hitomi for a while? I think her digimon friend is busy beating her at that card game." Curious, Rika glanced out the window.
Outside, Hitomi groaned as Eevee defeated the last of her digimon. "Looks like I win again, kid." he said as Hitomi discarded the last card in her hand. "So, for my dinner tonight, let's say some barbecued fish, and a little salt for seasoning. Oh, and make sure the skin's removed. And the bones."
"?" Was all Hitomi could manage.
"You'll have stir-fry like everyone else." Nami interrupted, walking over. "Honestly, how could you take advantage of her like that?"
Noctowl landed by the porch and hooted loudly. "Hey, I like vegetables!" Eevee protested
"What about that tantrum you threw when dad gave you that carrot for lunch?" Hitomi asked.
"It wasn't a tantrum, it was a legitimate complaint! Pokemon can't live on...on...rabbit food!"
"Eat your veggies." Nami commanded. "Dinner's in three hours, and I'd better see a clean plate, mister."
From the trees, Renamon watched the exchange. Bemused, she shook her head and looked to the sky. "Antylamon." she whispered. "What happened?"
==Tokyo power plant
"In here." Labramon said. "This is where the digimon is." Beside him, Gargomon nodded. "Alice, get ready, I may have to digivolve." Alice took out a card, ready to use it. "One, two, three...NOW!" Gargomon and Labramon burst through the door. They were now in what looked like the main control room, overlooking the massive generators that powered this part of the city. One of the windows was smashed, and, on the floor below, they spotted the digimon they were looking for.
Gargomon summed up the situation best. "A giant chicken?"
"So it would seem." Labramon nodded. "And he is drawing power out of the generators. That would explain the blackout."
Alice looked at her digivice. "Sinduramon, ultimate level Deva digimon. Should we try to get the others here?"
"Nahh, I don't buy that silly 'only ultimate digimon can beat ultimate digimon' stuff on TV." Gargomon answered. "Wish me luck!" With that, he jumped down.
Labramon glanced at Alice, who was already slashing a card through her digivice. "Digi-modify! Digivolution activate!"
"Labramon, digivolve to...Dobermon!" The two digimon landed on the floor. "What are you doing here?"
The digimon turned around slowly. It resembled a rooster, now that the humans and digimon got a really good look at it. It had the head of a rooster, and the wings, but they were placed on a spherical metal body, which had a strange rod with three prongs at each end on its back. "Who dares challenge the Deva of Thunder, Sinduramon?"
"We do." Dobermon replied. "You are not welcome here, Deva. Leave or we will deal with you."
"Yeah!" Gargomon added, aiming one of his hand cannons at the Deva. "Now take a hike or it's all you can eat chicken wings for everyone!"
"Hmph." Sinduramon answered. "Normally, a Deva such as myself would not have to deal with such pathetic digimon like you. Back in the Digital World, I have Numemon serving me that are stronger than you."
"A shame this isn't the digital world." Dobermon replied. He charged forward, teeth bared.
Henry pulled a card out, got ready to slash it, then stopped. "How...?" In his hands was a blue card, just like the one Takato had used. "Well, here goes. Digi-modify! Matrix digivolution, activate!"
Nothing happened.
==Mountains
Rika walked down to the lake, following the path Hitomi had taken after losing the last card game. She finally spotted her, down by the edge of the water, hunched over her sketchpad, in the middle of drawing something. Hitomi looked up, hearing Rika approach. "Oh, hello Rika."
Rika nodded. "So, the plush toy cleaned you out? After everything I taught you, too."
Hitomi's face fell. "I know, I'm sorry-"
"Cut it out!" Rika interrupted, making Hitomi jump. "Okay, you know what your problem is? You're not aggressive enough. You always wait for someone else to start something, and then you just react to it. You'll never win at Digimon Card that way." Hitomi opened her mouth to respond. "And if the next two words out of your mouth are 'I'm sorry', then...then you really will be sorry!" Rika grinned a bit as she saw a flicker of anger pass over Hitomi's face. "Good," she said, confusing Hitomi, "I was starting to wonder if you could get angry."
"I...I don't understand." Hitomi replied uncertainly.
"Like I said, you're too nice, and that's like having the word 'doormat' tattooed on your head. What's your family like?" Confused by the apparent change of subject, Hitomi told her all about her parents, her life at home, and her friends. Rika nodded. "Okay. Can I be honest?" Hitomi nodded. "I think you're a little spoiled. Not in a bad way," Rika amended, seeing horror creep over Hitomi's face, "but it sounds like you're used to having everyone else take care of you. Trust me, the only person you can rely on is yourself."
"What about Renamon?" Hitomi asked, a bit pointedly.
"Alright, your digimon partner too." Rika sighed. "Look, my dad ran off when I was little, and my mom's always off on some stupid modeling assignment. The school counselor gave me the whole spiel about having trouble opening up to others." So why am I opening up to her, she wondered.
==
"HENRY!" Gargomon roared. "I could use that blue card right now!"
"It's not working!" Henry yelled back, swiping the card over and over. Growling, he tossed the card aside, and took out another card. "Digi-Modify! Metal armor activate!" Instantly, Gargomon's body was covered in silvery metal. Henry glanced around, but didn't see Alice. Must have gone to get a better vantage point, he decided.
"Fool!" Sinduramon crowed. He fired a bolt of electricity, which glanced off of Gargomon. "Your pathetic abilities are no match for the lord of sky and thunder! Even if that metal will not conduct my power, I can still melt it and you into a small pile of slag!" With a cry, the rooster Deva fired another bolt at Gargomon, completely forgetting about Dobermon.
"Darkness!" A field of black covered Sinduramon, blinding him, allowing Dobermon a chance to attack. "AND LIGHT!" Claws and teeth glowing silver-white, Dobermon jumped onto the Deva, trying to maul the digimon. However, his bites and swipes skittered off the metallic body of Sinduramon. "I can't break his armor!"
"No one can! Treasure Pestle!" With a swing, Dobermon was knocked clear, landing unconscious a few yards away. "You will pay for your arrogant presumption, fallen one!" The Deva stepped forward, ignoring Gargomon's attacks, ready to finish off Dobermon.
With a gasp, Henry saw Alice run out of a doorway, and try to pull Dobermon clear. "Alice!" he called. "Get out of there! ALICE! Gargomon, get him!"
"I'm trying!" Gargomon shouted, still firing. "But I can't do much without a can opener!"
Henry tried to fight down his panic. I have to draw him away from Alice and Dobermon..."Digi-modify! Double Dark shot, activate!"
"Waaahhh-HOOO!" Gargomon yelled. "Double Dark Shot!" Two missiles appeared on Gargomon's back, launched, and struck Sinduramon, driving him into the generators. With a wild cry, Sinduramon was wreathed in flames as the generators exploded around him.
Leaving the control room, Henry picked up the discarded blue card, and ran down the stairs, over to where Alice and Dobermon were. "Are you alright?"
Alice nodded, getting up. "We are fine." Dobermon said, emphasizing the 'we', and getting a faint blush out of Henry.
"That generator's toast." Gargomon added, walking over. "Looks like your allowance is gonna get docked for the next century or so." He stopped, looking at the generator again. "Oh no..."
Sinduramon, now three times as large, and still growing, burst out of the wreckage. "I am the lord of thunder!" he proclaimed. "None shall defeat me!" He started launching energy bolts, forcing everyone to jump clear. As he dodged, Henry felt a searing pain rip through him. Instinctively, he rolled, came up behind some wreckage, and looked at the source of his pain.
Where his pack of cards and their leather carrying case was, there was only soot. Gargomon ran over to him. "Okay, we just use another Dark shot card and...ahhhh nuts!" Gargomon trailed off, seeing what had happened. Henry winced as he tried to stand. "Okay, new plan. you stay here, and I clobber 'Mr. Eleven herbs and spices'."
"But-"
"No buts! Think of it as a good chance to score points with your girlfriend!" Gargomon smirked, and ran into the battle.
"She's not..." Henry protested, but trailed off. He lifted his hand, and realized he still held the blue card in it. "Some use this is. Why were Takato and Alice able to evolve their digimon? Why can't I?" He winced as he stood up, and saw Gargomon dodging lightning bolts from Sinduramon. A pair of arms helped him up. "Alice?" As he spoke, he saw Dobermon join the fight.
Alice nodded. "You're hurt. We have to get you out of here, and try to get Jeri and Takato here to help. Sinduramon's too strong for us now. Without a blue card, I can't evolve Dobermon back to Black Were Garurumon."
Henry looked up. "Who says we need it?" he said suddenly. Confused, Alice glanced at him. "The digidestined on TV didn't need their crests, maybe our cards are just focuses, like the crests."
"But that's a TV show!" Alice replied. "It doesn't..." suddenly, she realized where Henry was going. "Hitomi." she whispered.
Henry nodded. "Help me up." he said. Alice helped him stand, while Henry concentrated. "Hitomi said that a digivice represents the bond between a tamer and a digimon. It, and our cards, allows us to help our digimon." As he spoke, the blue card glinted, as if responding. Henry's D-Arc glowed. "Digi-modify! Matrix Digivolution activate!"
"Gargomon, Matrix Digivolve to...RAPIDMON!"
"It worked!" Alice gasped. As she watched, the blue colour on the card faded, revealing a normal card. "You used a Terriermon card?"
"It must have changed when I pulled it out of my card pack." Henry answered. "But I was so focussed on the card, I never thought about the power that made it work."
"I don't know what you did!" Rapidmon yelled. "But I love it! Bring it on, sparky!" With a mad cry, Sinduramon's beak snapped out, trying to bite Rapidmon in two. "Whoops, too slow! Nope, not there! Missed again! Boy, your pecking's not up to scratch, is it?"
"Do not mock one of the Devas, worm!" Sinduramon started to call up another lightning blast, but his head was suddenly wrapped in darkness.
"Thanks!" Rapidmon called to Dobermon. "Rapid Fire!" Rapidmon fired off a barrage of shots, all striking Sinduramon, forcing him out of the power plant (now much the worse for wear -ed). "Okay, you can pay for the wall, rooster-boy! But first, how about a hand?" he reached forward, grabbed the Deva by the wing and, swinging him around several times, flung him into the air. "Tri-Beam!" With a final cry, Sinduramon was annihilated by the beam.
==2 hours later.
Janyu frowned as he checked the bandage on Henry's side. "Well, I'm glad it wasn't more serious. But you should be more careful, you could have been paralyzed."
"I'm sorry."
Janyu sighed. "Well, at least it wasn't serious. But your mother is going to have kittens when she sees that. And about the power plant..."
Henry groaned. "Ah nuts..."
==Mountains, that night.
Hitomi closed her notebook, then climbed into bed. "You okay, kid?" Eevee asked. Noctowl was perched on a chair by the window, which was cracked slightly. Hitomi shivered slightly, as a slight gust of cold air came in through the window. "Look, I don't know what Rika said to you, but you've been quiet ever since dinner." His eyes narrowed. "If she-"
"No, Eevee." Hitomi replied. "Am I...am I timid?"
Eevee blinked, confused. "Uh, maybe a little, why?"
"Well, Rika says that's why I'm no good at the card game."
"So? It's just a dumb card game. I like you the way you are." Eevee repressed a shudder. "You're not thinking of becoming like her, are you? Because trust me, you can't scowl convincingly."
"I can't?" Hitomi replied. Outside, Renamon leaned nearer the window, silently amused by the conversation.
"I don't want to be completely like Rika." Hitomi went on. "I just want to be as strong as she is." She looked out the window. "I don't want to go through my life relying on other people to save me. It seems like that's all that ever happens."
"Hey, who helped me digivolve into Jolteon? Who helped me kick Renamon's tail the second week we were here?"
Hitomi smiled. "Still..."
Eevee sighed. "Alright, alright. You want to be stronger, I'll help. But promise me you won't start wearing jeans and saying how stupid everything is, alright? Your mom'd kill me."
==An hour later
Dressed for bed, Rika checked on Hitomi (sound asleep, Eevee napping beside her pillow), then opened the window and looked out. "Are you alright?" she asked Renamon, sitting on the roof to the left of the window.
Renamon nodded. "Yes. Are you? Eevee nearly went off, when he heard you say Hitomi was spoiled. Perhaps sheltered would have been a better word?"
"Maybe. She's got the potential, but she's just so...timid sometimes." Rika looked at Renamon. "Are you okay? With maybe having to fight Antylamon in the future?"
"I do not know. Antylamon and I were close, but that was some time ago. What has changed, I do not know." Renamon looked over Rika's shoulder, looking at Eevee and Hitomi. "I think she will do well. I think she is...taken with you, as your grandmother might say." Rika mumbled, not sure how to take that. "My usage may be incorrect, but I did see her drawing something just before she came in for dinner. It's in her book under her bed."
Curious, Rika silently padded over and took the sketch pad out. She flipped through the first few pages, then saw the last illustration. It was a sketch of Rika, just after slashing a card through her D-arc.
"She got my hair wrong." Rika replied, closing the book and placing it back under Hitomi's bed. "Not too bad, though."
Next Episode:
Vajramon, one of the last uncorrupted Devas, comes through a portal with a dire warning: two more Devas have come through, both seeking Calumon. But when the fight starts, Renamon discovers that one of the Devas is none other than Antylamon! Can Renamon fight her old friend? Next time on Digicross Tamers:
-'Friend versus Tamer...Taomon, decide!'