Dato' Sri Sulaiman Daud leaned back on his comfortable leather chair, eyeing the stack of papers on his handsome mahogany desk with mild interest. The computer on the right side of the table was switched on, but he paid no attention to it. He fiddled with the hem of his smart dark suit, briefly tempted to loosen his dark blue tie when he thought against it. There was a meeting in one and a half hour and he might need to be there earlier than usual.
For a moment, he eyed the surrounding of his spacious office. Dark maroon carpet covered the whole room, giving no inkling of how the floor looked like underneath. The plastered ceilings had one spotlight on every corner, and white light poured out from the space between the ceiling and the plastered layer, illuminating the whole office. Black leather sofas lined the right side of the office, and on their opposite was a sturdy glass table. This was where he would entertain his guests. At the far end of the right corner was a bonsai plant, purely for decoration, placed beside a tall rack of books. The door was located opposite his table, and above the entrance the air-conditioner hummed softly, barely audible if it weren't for the office to be quiet in the first place. At the left side of the office, hung on the walls, were framed pictures of people in royal outfits and traditional Baju Melayu costume. Two of them, the ones in royal outfits, were that of the current reigning Sultan and Sultana of Malaysia. Beside the Sultan's picture and set slightly lower, was the picture of the current Prime Minister. And set at the lower right side of the Sultana's picture was his picture.
Dato' Sulaiman Daud was the country's current Deputy Prime Minister, and had been so for the last four years.
The last four years had been hectic, with him heading the ministry of defense and being the Deputy Prime Minister at the same time. His usual day would start early in the morning and ended late at night. He was lucky that his family had supported his works and understood the responsibilities he carried. It wasn't that he was complaining; he loved his job and would do his best in every endeavor that came his way. Aside from all the works that seemed to pile up his desk, he also took time to perform charity works. These he had begun somewhat recently – only since two years ago. Before that, he'd thought that his schedule was so busy that he could never find the time to do so. He'd wanted to, but never could or never tried to.
The change came during a very fateful event that had taken place two years ago. It had changed his whole perspective of life, and made him appreciate life even more.
It was all because of one man. That one man had taken the bullet that was meant for him, and it had ended his life. That day, one woman became a widow and two children were left without a father. Chief Inspector Chang Liu Kang had fallen during his duty to protect him while on a social event at Suria KLCC, the famous shopping complex flanked by the even more renowned Petronas Twin Towers – the tallest twin towers in the world. It was an unsuspected attack and it had cost the police inspector his life. Dato' Sulaiman had gone to great lengths to ensure that the culprit – Raymond Lau – was sentenced to prison for life.
Then, realizing that the fallen inspector had left behind a family, the Deputy Prime Minister had tried to offer his help many times, but the offers were politely turned down by the inspector's wife. However, one offer was graciously accepted by the inspector's family as without their sole breadwinner they had no means for income. He had procured a strategically-located shop lot at a commercial center located in the heart of a thriving housing community, and had paid for it in full so that the family could immediately start up their business there without having to worry about paying rents. And that alone had been the only way he had helped the family of the inspector whom had saved his life. From what he had heard, the shop had become a famous hair salon – not what he had expected, but still, it was a rather famous one at that and the family was doing well. He'd never forgotten to send them greeting cards with continuous offers for help, but the inspector's family always insisted that they had received all the help they needed and they were very thankful for that.
Dato' Sulaiman however felt otherwise; it was he who was thankful. Thanks to the late chief inspector, he was still alive. Chang Liu Kang's sacrifice had made him see things in different perspectives. He became involved in various charity works, and would find the time to do so. He had a particular soft spot for orphanages – remembering that the late inspector had two children. From what he had heard, the eldest – a girl – was now a teenager, and her younger brother had begun kindergarten. Both of them were doing well. That set his heart at ease.
His rusty brown eyes fell on the calendar. He saw that it was less than a week before that date. Five more days exactly before the date where he could have died, if it weren't for the inspector's sacrifice. He made a mental note to ask his secretary to get an appropriate greeting card for him to send to the Chang family.
The phone rang once before a soft female voice greeted him. "Dato', there's a phone call waiting for you. Should I direct it to you, or would you like me to take a message?"
"Who is it from, Yati?" Dato' Sulaiman asked his secretary.
"It's a woman – she introduced herself as Mrs. Evelyn Chang and she said that she really needs to speak to you."
His eyes widened in surprise. She would not be calling unless there was something serious going on. "I'll take the call. Direct it to my office."
The secretary murmured her agreement and soon Dato' Sulaiman was greeted by Evelyn Chang, who sounded like she had been crying. There was hesitance in her voice, followed by stifled sobs. Dato' Sulaiman realized that something was seriously wrong. What could possibly happen to cause Evelyn Chang to call him – the Chang family had assured the Deputy Prime Minister that they would never ask any more than they had done in regards to Inspector Chang's death. The Deputy Prime Minister however felt that he had done so little in relieving the burden Evelyn now had to carry for her family.
"Evelyn, what's going on?" he prodded gently. The woman sounded so grieved and scared, it unnerved him. The last time he had seen Evelyn, she looked so composed and strong despite her rather frail features. She hadn't shed a single tear in front of him. To hear her sniffling sobs made the Deputy Prime Minister realize that something had indeed gone horribly wrong.
"Dato'…my daughter…she's been kidnapped…" His suspicion was immediately confirmed. Evelyn told him the whole details – apparently she had received an untraceable phone call from the kidnapper who claimed to be Raymond Lau's brother. His brows furrowed in anger and concern as he deciphered the details which were intermixed with sobs.
"I'll be on my way to your house, Evelyn," Dato' Sulaiman assured. "No, no, it's no problem. I want to come, and I really want to help," he added quickly. He heard the woman on the other line said something, and quickly cut her off. "Evelyn, don't apologize. You did right by calling me. Do not worry; I will be at your house in an hour. No, no…trust me, it's not an issue at all, but we will have to discuss that with the police as well."
As soon as the phone conversation ended, Dato' Sulaiman sighed and quickly pressed the button on his telephone, and the secretary's voice was heard again. "Yati, clear or postpone all my schedules – there's something I need to do right away." With the order issued he quickly rushed out of his office, with one place set in mind.
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"The call has been made," Riley Lau said, switching off his cell phone. His face was fixed with the sneer-and-scowl combo expression once again as he pocketed the cell phone. "In times like this I'm very much thankful that the prepaid system does not include registration…there's no way the police can detect where we are. And even if they do, it's not like I don't want them not to." He smirked wildly and crossed his arms over his chest; his eyes glanced briefly at the dark-armored figures hidden within the shadows. "They'll be sent to their doom."
Liu Ying stared at her kidnapper with silent fury. Thoughts raced through her minds – how did she manage to throw Riley off his feet with her telekinetic power? The last time she'd checked – none of the DigiWira were able to use their powers here on their home world. She wanted to lash out again with her mind power just to wipe the smirk of her captor's face, but found herself unable to do so. She glanced sideways and saw Doumon, the said Shaman General, sat in a meditative pose with his eyes closed. She wondered how on Earth Riley managed to procure the assistance of Doumon. It seemed so improbable – she still had a hard time believing it.
"Miss Chang, I can easily see through your mind – I know what you're thinking right now," Riley said with an amused chuckle. He glanced at his watch before looking back at the girl's face. "Well, I suppose I can entertain you while we wait for your friends or the police. What's taking them, I wonder?"
Liu Ying didn't reply. She merely stared at the man's face, hoping to capture every detail so that when she escaped, she would have sufficient details to describe to the authorities.
When she escaped? Liu Ying had faith in that – after all the stuffs that she had been through the past seven months as a DigiWira, she was determined not to let this kidnapping be the end of her. Adam had been through a much more precarious situation. He had been kidnapped by the then-evil ShadoWira, brought in front one of the most terrifying Digimon she had ever known (who was luckily imprisoned), battled the ShadoWira who seemed to have targeted him, and escaped. Of course, Adam wouldn't be able to do it without her and Gayathri, but still, he was kidnapped and he had escaped.
Now, after the initial shock of being kidnapped and the kidnappers' association with the Shaman General, Liu Ying no longer felt fear for them. Sure, she was afraid, but now she was able to keep it in check. All that was there was tremendous loathing for the vilest man she had ever met. She began thinking of a plan of her own, but realized that she would need Labramon for it to take effect. That was not possible because Labramon was contained inside her Juara Digivice and the Digivice was in the possession of Riley. How in the world would she be able to get hold on the Digivice?
She thought of many ways, but one stood out. She remembered the stunt Adam pulled when Gayathri was under the mild abhorrence spell, and once again, according to Adam, the trick he had done which pitted the evil Red ShadoWira against Karatenmon. Would it work? She'd need the boldness of both Adam and JD to pull this stunt together. She had nothing to lose, but everything to gain if her plan worked.
"You wonder," she spat at Riley with the most irritable voice she could muster, and that wasn't a hard task at all. "Those buttons are there for something more than decorations, you dim-" Liu Ying halted abruptly, but unbeknownst to Riley who was now glaring at her, she did that on purpose. It was a show she put on to appear intimidated by the kidnapper.
"Good to see that I still have that intimidating factor," Riley snickered. He examined the light yellow and shining gold Digivice, and pressed a button tentatively.
'Now!' Liu Ying's heart raced and she yelled out, "LABRAMON, ACCESS!!"
Instantly Labramon sprang out from the Digivice, flustering Riley who yelled in surprise. The Digimon had heard everything but she couldn't do anything about it while contained in her pocket dimension. She had waited so patiently, waiting for Liu Ying to wake up, knowing that her partner would think of a plan. Once she was out, the Digivice bathed her in gold and yellow light no sooner than the time she managed to bite the man's shoulder. For a Digimon, it wasn't ethical to attack a human, but the man had endangered her partner so Labramon had made a small exception – protecting Liu Ying was her biggest priority. The man shrieked with agony and surprise – Labramon hadn't hold back with her bite – and found his shoulder severely bleeding.
Labramon digivolve to…Youkomon!!
Shocked gasps were heard from the other two men who were involved with the kidnapping, mixed with Riley's infuriated snarl as he held on his wounded shoulder. None knew what they should do upon setting sight of the frightening-looking fox with blue furs and nine fiery tails.
Youkomon sprang towards Liu Ying, wanting to rescue her, but she was slammed by an invisible force which threw her towards the wall. The kitsune Digimon grunted as she attempted to stand up, and erected her nine tails, aiming at the one who had attacked her.
Doumon stared at the Champion Digimon with a snort, before flicking his hand. A glowing symbol appeared above his palm. "Talisman Sphere!"
Suddenly Youkomon found herself contained in a semi-invisible sphere. She attacked the sphere but that the force-field was undeterred by the nine fireballs. Instead it deflected the fireballs back at her, singing her furs and tails. Youkomon slumped on the ground, beaten by her attack. It was lucky that she didn't use the Dragon Wheel – the force of that attack would devolve her.
"Pest," Doumon muttered and closed his eyes, continuing with his meditation, as if nothing had happened.
Liu Ying's heart beat wildly in anxiety while witnessing the brief battle, and she was thankful that Youkomon wasn't seriously hurt. Riley was spitting out curses in several languages – some Liu Ying could not understand – as he looked back and forth between her and Youkomon. His face was red under the scanty light from the half-obscured window, and contorted with fury.
"Mangy bitch! If you give me rabies I swear I'll skin your furry body into throw-rugs and make mink coats out of your tails!" he snarled angrily as one of his friends approached him with a piece of dirty cloth. "Get that thing away from my shoulder, you imbecile! The wound could get infected with that nasty piece of cloth! Find a clean one now, will you!" Clenching his injured shoulder Riley staggered towards Liu Ying, stared down at the girl for a while before slapping her on the face, causing the chair to fall down sideways from the sheer force of his strike. "That's for the stunt you've pulled there, girly, and be thankful that I have more use for you, because if I don't, you'd wish that you're slapped a hundred times rather than…" He let his sentence hung as he pulled the chair back up with his good arm.
Liu Ying's right cheek burned from the slap, and she willed so hard not to let tears fell from her eyes. She gritted her teeth tight and stared back at the man spitefully. Then she flinched again, but not because of the pain from the slap but the oily feel on her cheek, followed by a strong rusty odor. The smell of blood which she now suspected staining her face was nauseating. And although she wanted more than ever to retaliate, Riley's unfinished threat didn't go idle by her mind.
"That's better," Riley sneered as he bandaged his injured shoulder with a semi-clean cloth. He grabbed Liu Ying's long raven hair, causing the girl to yelp, and drew his face close to her. "You listen here, Miss Chang. No more stunts or I'll tear off your school uniform to bandage my wound when this one is fully soaked with blood." Liu Ying's eyes widened along with a gasp and Riley snickered at the effects. He stuck a thumb on Liu Ying's left temple, drawing it down, wiping the blood from her face carelessly. Liu Ying flinched away and Riley laughed. "Behave and I won't touch you. I don't go for underage girls, but when push comes to shove…" Once again he let his sentence hung before turning back to sit on his chair.
Liu Ying's heart nearly stopped at his comment, and for once, she was really scared. A single tear escaped her eyes before she cast a look at Youkomon. The Champion was obviously pained from the looks of her sharp ice-blue eyes, seeing her partner being harassed by the kidnapper. Liu Ying quickly composed herself and gave an inconspicuous nod to Youkomon, who at first looked perplexed. Riley was observing her, but to him she might just appear like she was muttering gibberish. 'At least my plan works,' she thought, and mouthed two words while looking at a pile of furniture, hoping that Youkomon would get it.
And the kitsune caught it instantly with her acute senses. 'Astral projection…'
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WIRA DIGITAL
Chapter 39 – DigiWira in Distress, Part II
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Batu Caves, loosely translated as the Caves of Stones, was located thirteen kilometer up north from the metropolis of Kuala Lumpur. It was first discovered in 1892 and was an important place for those who practiced the Hindu religion. Aside from that it was also one of Malaysia's tourist attractions, luring tourists from all around the world to witness and climb the 273 steps which would lead to the caves. These caves would lead to underground large natural chambers constructed as the interiors of Hindu temples. The stairs, painted white and red, were a rather stark contrast amidst the greenery of the trees that grew on the hills around them.
Leading towards the stairs was a spacious square clearing flanked by brightly-painted Hindu temples, with a colorful arch constructed over the first step of the stairs. A large Hindu deity statue in gold loomed over the clearing, casting shadows which provided some shades to those who couldn't withstand the afternoon heat. A band of mischievous long-tailed macaques scampered around the clearing in front of the steps, sending pigeons flying about as locals and tourists alike watched in mild amusement as they went about their business. It was a bright late afternoon day and the weather was pleasant enough for the tourists to walk around with leisure pace as they enjoyed the sights of the famous landmark. As it was a weekday, not many people were around and it was fairly quiet around the temple site. Even the locals that were around were mostly shop vendors and Hindu monks, some seen talking with the foreign visitors while others attended to their own businesses.
Suddenly, without particular reason the pigeons and the macaques scampered around, some even colliding with the people who gasped with bewilderment over the animals' sudden behaviors. The clearing was left bare and people looked around, wondering what could have caused the animals to flee. The reason became apparent when soft glows of white and gold suddenly appeared from the air, becoming more radiant in a blink of the eye before four figures materialized. The crowd instantly gasped with awe as they set their eyes upon the figures that had made names for themselves recently, and those with cameras didn't waste time in snapping photographs of the four warriors.
"Phew….luckily I managed to remember this place well from my visit here last year with Kak Lisha," Aldiyamon said as he lowered his arms, willing the bright orbs of light to disappear into thin air. He sweatdropped upon noticing the amazed expressions of the people around them, and sighed. "Uh oh…looks like we've made quite a grand entrance." Then, lowering his voice to a barely audible level, he added, "This is all your fault, Satriamon! You and your bright idea, teleporting here…"
"You got any better ideas?" Satriamon smirked, not caring about the crowd at all. "It's fast, it's free, and we don't have to break a sweat. It's the sweetest ride here."
The crowd's hushed whisper became more excited but none dared to approach the imposing figures of the four Wira Digital yet.
Puspamon flapped her shining, semi-translucent pink wings and fluttered above the other Wira Digital, unintentionally causing some of the males from the crowd to ogle at her as she scanned around the temple area with a small smile on her face. "It's been a while since I'm here," she whispered – or rather, the Gayathri inside of her did for Floramon had never stepped foot on this place. She was careful enough to make sure that her voice was low. She soared until reaching the golden deity statue's waist level before realizing what she had done to the crowd, and smiled sheepishly as she waved a hand. "Oh…hello, everyone! Don't mind us. We're just here for quite a bit…"
Samudramon produced his Juara Digivice on his palm and conjured the digital map. They needn't worry about preserving their identities while in their Wira Digital forms. The map showed a considerable distance between the yellow signal and the other four, but the map was now in a close-ranged scale. "We're closer. Now, if only I can take out the map as well, but I can't while in this form," he said to Satriamon and Aldiyamon.
Satriamon nudged Aldiyamon with a finger. "C'mon…time for us to manipulate your teleportation again."
The angelic knight shook his head. "Nu-uh. Can't do that."
"Why not?"
Aldiyamon turned his face around towards the tallest Wira Digital, glaring at him underneath his silver visor. "Because, as I have told you a thousand times, I can't teleport to a place I haven't been at. I need at least a mental image or picture or something…"
"Why?" Satriamon asked again.
"Because…" Aldiyamon took another breath, knowing all too well that his cousin (with the DigiWira being cousins, Patamon and Agumon too had decided that they would be 'cousins' as well, without actually knowing the meaning of the context) was only provoking him. It had been JD's favorite past time for the past three weeks Adam had moved into his house. The angel smiled as he came up with a rather smart reply. "The last place we'd want to end up at is a dirty toilet, although I won't mind if you're the one who end up there."
'That ought to make him shut up,' Adam thought.
'I don't know, Adam. This is your cousin we're talking about,' Patamon giggled back in reply.
Satriamon grinned deviously. "I won't mind if it's a girl's toilet."
'Why do I even bother?' Aldiyamon ignored Satriamon, turning his gaze towards Samudramon and Puspamon. Samudramon was diligently studying the digital map, trying to remember its details. Above him, Puspamon was still looking around the Batu Caves with rapt interest.
"I think I've got it," Samudramon said when the arguing between the other two Wira Digital stopped. The digital map vanished as Samudramon kept his Juara Digivice back in its pocket dimension. "We need to find a secluded place to return to our normal forms, and start looking from there."
"Why can't we remain in our Wira Digital forms?" Satriamon asked.
"We're attracting a lot of attention and I still need to refer to the other map," Samudramon answered.
"And we might alert the kidnappers, if they are nearby," Aldiyamon answered. "That would make this whole rescue mission we're planning to be utterly pointless…"
Aldiyamon was cut short when a loud screech was heard coming from the sky. The avian shriek instantly prompted everyone to raise their head, and the crowd gasped in horror and fear upon setting eyes over a massive figure of a birdman looming towards the clearing. They scampered about in panic, trying to find places to hide. The birdman's profile was obscured because it was flying in front of the direction of the sun, making it appear as a black silhouette amidst the sun rays. The Wira Digital couldn't make out of the birdman's details, but they soon realize that the birdman was not alone when several smaller figures appeared behind the birdman. They were the Velgemon and there were five of them.
"We've got company!" Puspamon swooped down towards her friends, looking absolutely miffed. "They can't attack here! This is a sacred place! Why I oughta…"
"Don't worry. We've taken care of them once, we can do it again." Satriamon raised his golden gauntlet up his face, smirking menacingly.
"Scan the intruder. I'm getting everyone out of here…" Eyeing some of the fearfully transfixed crowd of people, Aldiyamon quickly flew over them. He let out thousands of white and gold orbs which instantly transported him and them towards a safe place he had recalled in his mind. Everyone – the monks, the tourists, the vendors, some kids, even the screeching macaques – were teleported away, leaving Satriamon, Samudramon and Puspamon a clear venue to deal with the enemies.
"I can't let them approach this place!" Puspamon quickly soared towards the intruders before Satriamon and Samudramon could stop her.
"What's with her?" Satriamon asked, confused of his fellow Wira Digital's attitude.
"To Gayathri, this place is a sacred place for her belief. I probably would've reacted the same way if a church is attacked, as you and Adam might if it's a mosque that's under attack," Samudramon explained calmly as he once again produced his Juara Digivice in order to scan the enemy Digimon.
"Ah…" Satriamon nodded, and peered closer to the other dragon man to have a look at the analyzer.
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: DIGIMON ANALYZER :
Name: Garudamon
Attributes: Ultimate level, Vaccine type
Attacks:
Wing Blade – Garudamon releases a flaming bird from its wings towards its enemy.
Eagle Claw – Garudamon uses its sharp claws to slash the enemy with the added power of fire.
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"Interestingly enough, a Garuda is a half-man, half-bird creature from Hindu mythology, and we're now up against a Garudamon at a sacred place for Hindu people," Samudramon remarked.
Satriamon was about to come up with a reply when fogs burst out at the corner of the clearing. Several figures stepped out, all of them unfamiliar. A heavily-muscled humanoid with black skin and four arms walked out from the fogs first. Clearly a male, he wore only a dark brown loincloth secured by a thick white band around the waist. His shins and forearms were protected by bronze gauntlets. The Digimon was particularly peculiar not only because he possessed four arms, but also three sets of faces, each covered by differently-colored masks of yellow, blue and red. A large ring-shaped bronze metal was attached on his back, and his hair seemed to be made out of flames. Fire seemed to radiate from his back as well. He wore a solemn expression on his face and his mouth was set thin as he set eyes on the two Wira Digital.
Behind him, two black-armored figures shifted quietly. They were all identical, with strange eyes decorating various parts of their bodies. Their armored arms ended with curved red blades.
"Check out those weirdoes," Satriamon instructed Samudramon.
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: DIGIMON ANALYZER :
Name: Asuramon
Attributes: Ultimate level, Vaccine type
Attacks:
Fire Fists of Shiva – Asuramon attacks his enemies with flaming fists.
Multiple Faces – Asuramon shoots out laser beams from his three sets of eyes, harnessing the power of fire, darkness and poison.
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"And another interesting fact is that Asura is a demonic deity, also from Hindu mythology," Samudramon murmured.
Satriamon snorted. "How do you know all that? All I've noticed that the Darkshadow Brethren have a weird fetish of using fire-based Digimon. It was Ardhamon last time, and now Garudamon and Asuramon."
"I read," Samudramon said, giving Satriamon a matter-of-factly look.
Satriamon shrugged. "Ah, whatever. Scan those men in blacks too. They look like foot soldiers to me."
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: DIGIMON ANALYZER :
Name: Duskmon
Attributes: Ultimate level, Virus type
Attacks:
Deadly Gaze – Duskmon shoots out red laser beams from the eyes adorning its armor.
Lunar Plasma – Duskmon rushes towards his enemies, slashing his Kris blades towards them which let out trails of dark-powered red energy.
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"Don't tell me that those Duskmon are from Hindu mythology too," Satriamon said.
"I don't think they are," Samudramon said. "But it looks like this time the Darkshadow Brethren are going all out in presumably an attempt to stop us from finding Liu Ying."
"What have they got to do with Liu Ying's kidnapping?" Satriamon asked.
"Probably nothing. Maybe they've realized about the kidnapping and are stopping us from finding her, because admittedly four Wira Digital are easier to beat than five."
"Looks like we have our work cut out for us then," Satriamon grinned, brandishing his fearsome gauntlet again. He looked up at Puspamon who was soaring towards Garudamon and the Velgemon. "Hopefully she'll be able to handle them on her own while our little angel gets everyone to safety."
"Somehow I think Aldiyamon won't appreciate that comment," Samudramon said, producing his trident with a flick of his hand. The weapon appeared in swirls of water. He was, however, grinning back at the other dragon man's remark.
"Nah. He already knows I'm calling him that." Satriamon's playful tone disappeared as he set sight upon the approaching Asuramon. "I'll take muscle-man. You take those men in blacks."
Samudramon nodded, gripping his trident tight. "Sounds like a plan to me."
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Above the 273 steps of the stairs and inside the hills were caverns with high-vaulted ceilings. Compared to the bright sunny atmosphere outside, the interior of the cave was gloomy and cool with scanty amount of light. A niche could be seen constructed at the side of a rock wall, with a carved Hindu deity set into an ornate altar. As one walked through the cave more colorful figures from the Hindu mythology could be seen placed around the cave, giving it a mystical sight to behold. The cavern ended with more stairs leading to a higher cave, appearing like a center stage set in front of a massive amphitheater. An opening could be seen over the stone ceiling, allowing the daylight to cascade down the murky recesses of the caverns. There at the higher cave was a temple with more deific carvings and with candles lit, giving more light to the somewhat dark interior. The temple-cave was relatively empty save for a couple of monks with dark skin, wearing long sarongs around their waists. There was a booth at the corner of the cave, selling some souvenirs for tourists who'd like to have some memorabilia of their visit to Batu Caves.
A bright flash of light burst forth and the empty cave suddenly was filled with a number of people and a grandiose figure in white. The quietness transformed into noises as the macaques shrieked and scampered towards an opening at the wall which led them to the trees outside, fearful of the humans. The people murmured in amazement, wondering how they got into the caves. Battle cries could be heard outside, causing the angelic knight before them to twitch.
"Everyone, stay here where it's safe," Aldiyamon instructed. He spread out his wings and took flight. "A battle is occurring outside and I need to help my friends."
Without waiting for an answer Aldiyamon sped out towards the opening, hearing an all-familiar shriek.
Outside, Puspamon was cornered from all sides by Garudamon – a massive birdman who was nearly five times her size – and its Velgemon lackeys. It was muscular and covered with light red feathers, which darkened as they formed its massive wings. Its arms and legs ended with sharp talons. Underneath the orange helmet it wore, green eyes flashed with intelligence.
"I'm warning you, birdbrain; get out of this holy place!" Puspamon said angrily, pointing a finger towards Garudamon.
"Hah! And who's gonna stop me from destroying this place? Certainly not you, little girl!" Garudamon spat with a proud masculine voice, indicating that it was a he. "I was instructed to destroy you and your friends only, but I figured why let the fun stop there…I'll destroy everything in sight when I've taken care of you. Velgemon, attack her!"
The Velgemon screeched and swooped down towards Puspamon. Puspamon retaliated by letting out an ear-splitting scream with spiraling pink energy waves, blasting the Velgemon away. The attack however only disoriented them, but to her surprise, Garudamon was unaffected. The attack didn't seem to faze him. "How did he…?" Puspamon wondered.
Garudamon guffawed and tapped the helmet he was wearing. "Scream all you want, girly. I can take it. But I wonder how you will fare against my Wing Blade!!"
Scarlet light exploded from Garudamon and a fiery phoenix was unleashed. It soared towards the clear blue sky before plummeting towards Puspamon.
The sprite Wira Digital quickly crossed and uncrossed her arms over her body, releasing a hurricane of flowers towards the blazing phoenix. The phoenix was trapped inside the hurricane, but to Puspamon's dismay it only aggravated the blazing phoenix even further. The fires on it flickered wilder and it grew bigger.
"Did you forget that you can't use wind to fight with fire? This is definitely going to be an easy fight on my part." Garudamon snapped his finger and the phoenix loomed over Puspamon.
Puspamon sweated profusely due to the excessive heat emitted from the phoenix. Her skin seemed to burn, becoming redder until she had to retreat away. From her back at a distance, she felt another incoming heat wave…but unlike the burning hot like the scarlet phoenix in front of her, the warmth from her back was comforting, and the burning sensation she was feeling slowly dissipated away. She heard a familiar avian screech, somewhat melodious compared to the wild nature of the red one in front of her. Smiling slightly she turned around just in time to see a white firebird streaking above her, slamming itself against the phoenix. The two birds fought it out before both vanished in data particles.
"Sorry I'm late…but better late than never," Aldiyamon said as appeared beside Puspamon. He blinked upon the sight of a very massive Garudamon. "Whoa…check out Big Bird."
"He's called Garudamon, and I'm going to make sure that he's going to stay as a myth rather than reality," Puspamon replied. "You take care of the Velgemon, okay?"
"Sure thing." Aldiyamon nodded and summoned the Heavenstar Gladius in his right hand. Puspamon fluttered above and Aldiyamon found himself surrounded by five Velgemon. He was outnumbered, but not exactly outmatched. Quickly he surrounded himself with a glowing silver sphere which protected him from their attacks. "Now I've got to figure out what's the plan to deal with these buzzards."
"So you have procured some help," Garudamon said as Puspamon reached his eyelevel. "Big deal. I'm the bigger brawn around here and I'm gonna show it to you why many dared not mess with me. Eagle Claw!!" Garudamon slashed his talons towards Puspamon, who swiftly evaded the attack by making an agile back flip in midair. Garudamon struck again but the smaller Puspamon was too nimble and graceful for the attack, and soon Garudamon grew frustrated and lost focus.
This was the opportunity Puspamon was waiting for. She released a furious whirlwind which slammed onto Garudamon's head, causing it to snap upward before uplifting his metallic helmet. The Hibiscus Hurricane died down and the helmet plummeted towards the ground, leaving a flustered Garudamon without the protection he once had against Puspamon's scream.
"What was that thing you said about your helmet? It protected you from this, right?" Puspamon shrieked out her Sprite Scream, further disorienting Garudamon.
The Ultimate-level birdman however was quick to regain his composure. "Curse you! Wing Blade!!" The ferocious phoenix was summoned and it flew towards Puspamon.
This time around, Puspamon was ready to intercept the attack. She spun around once before letting out bursts of tulip flowers, which in turn shot scorching magenta lasers all around the incoming bird of flames, incinerating it completely. Garudamon gasped and released another Wing Blade and Puspamon had to evade, having just released her attack she'd need time to call upon her power. The phoenix streaked towards the caverns where the people were seeking refuge.
"Oh, no!" She quickly darted her gaze towards Aldiyamon, who was still figuring out a way to deal with the Velgemon. "Aldiyamon! The temple!"
From within his protective sphere, Aldiyamon heard Puspamon's dire call and an idea quickly came to him. A smile formed on his face as he summoned, "Uh, Garudamon's red bird, whatever it's called…" He braced himself as Garudamon's phoenix was enveloped in bright light orbs, vanishing and reappearing merely several meters away from them. The Velgemon shrieked as the flaming bird scorched all of them with its searing fire. His protective sphere shook slightly from the force of the phoenix, Aldiyamon's smile turned into a satisfied grin as three Velgemon plummeted towards the ground, defeated and badly burnt. Two other Velgemon which had darted away just in time squawked angrily and zoomed towards Aldiyamon who had dropped his Deistic Guard.
"Heavenstar Gladius!!" A shining pillar of light slammed against the remaining two Velgemon, deleting them instantly. Aldiyamon then teleported down until he was further below the plummeting Velgemon, and made a horizontal slash facing the sky. A wave of holy light streaked towards the three fallen birds, destroying them in a blink of the eye. The exalted knight laughed in delight and hovered there, giving a victorious thumbs-up towards Puspamon before observing the battle scene below…noticing that it had suddenly flooded heavily.
Puspamon grinned and cast a look towards Garudamon. "Ha, ha…see what's happened to your lackeys?"
"Impossible!" Garudamon sputtered. His attack had caused the defeat of the Velgemon. He narrowed his eyes angrily and observed Puspamon. "You'll pay for that!" He let out a roar and flexed his arms while stretching out his large wings. Flames burst out from his body and a phoenix emerged, bigger and more menacing than the previous ones. Garudamon smirked upon noticing the anxious look that crossed his opponent's beautiful feature. "Take this, you little trollop! WING BLADE, FULL POWER!!" He bent down and the fearsome phoenix flew out from his back.
"Ok, I don't know what that means but judging from your tone I think that that's an insult." Trying to appear confident, Puspamon was actually worried. She raked her mind for a solution before her thoughts fleeted back to the final battle the five Wira Digital had with Gulfmon. That time, she had been consumed by sorrow of Adam's apparent death, and the sheer determination to delete Gulfmon once and for all. That had caused her Jelita Shocker technique to morph into a much more powerful form.
'I have to protect this place no matter what,' she thought and her body glowed with pink aura. "Jelita Shocker…" she said, and an inspiration suddenly struck her mind. More and more tulips spiraled out from the tulip decoration she had on her dress, coalescing together as they shot towards the incoming firebird. Puspamon smiled and confidently called out, "…POWERED UP MODE!!"
The flowers merged and transformed into a glowing apparition of a fairy three times the size of Puspamon. The glimmering pink fairy sailed through the flaming bird, dissipating it instantly in an explosion of pink light. The glowing fairy however didn't stop there – it flew all the way towards Garudamon at top speed and zapped through his chest, before emerging from his back in forms of flower petals. Garudamon bent forward and clutched his chest, screaming, appearing to be in severe pain. His face contorted horribly as his whole body was slowly enveloped by an aura in deep shade of pink, beginning from his chest and quickly irradiated to all parts of his body until he was wholly coated by the pink aura. Then, with a defeated shriek he combusted into data particles.
"I did it," Puspamon said with relief. "Batu Caves is saved."
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While the aerial battle took place, the battle on the ground was no less than exciting. Satriamon had tackled Asuramon while Samudramon had taken on the two Duskmon. The battle between the two Digimon of fire was nothing more than them exchanging flaming fists one after another, and they both looked to be at an equal power. Asuramon only had the advantage of having four fists instead of two, but Satriamon used his gauntlet as a shield to protect him from a number of Asuramon's Fire Fists of Shiva, awaiting the chance to deliver his own punch. That chance never came because whenever he attempted to do so, one of Asuramon's fists would block out his fist, resulting in a stalemate.
The battle between the aquatic Wira Digital and the Duskmon however was slightly more interesting than the fight between the two fire Digimon.
Samudramon had employed his usual strategy and used his Divine Rain first to leech out the powers from the Duskmon. He however soon realized that his support technique didn't work well on armored foes when the Duskmon showed no signs of weakness. They had proven to be formidable opponents and skillful swordsmen, using their blades to deliver one slash after another towards him. Soon Samudramon was flustered when he couldn't even energize his simplest technique, because the Duskmon didn't seem to relent after being exposed to the rains for fifteen straight minutes. It was time for him to change strategy, he thought, while blocking their swords with his trident. The two of them managed to overpower him in terms of strength and Samudramon was pushed back.
The Duskmon, quiet yet deadly, pressed on to the merman Wira Digital as their eyes flashed red. "Lunar Plasma!!" they chorused together, and sent Samudramon stumbling towards the golden deity statue. The statue shook momentarily but didn't lose its balance. Seeing Samudramon flustered, the Duskmon rushed towards him, swords ready to attack.
Samudramon got back up on his feet and spun his trident with energized power of thunder. The Duskmon leapt towards him, plunging their swords towards the merman simultaneously. Samudramon's spinning weapon transformed into a double-bladed staff with the blades shining with glorious blue hue. Thunderbolts crackled as Samudramon too made a leap towards the Duskmon. He thrust his Double-Edged Thunderblades towards the swords, cutting them off cleanly before forcing the Duskmon to retreat.
The brutes looked momentarily abashed, before their eyes glinted red and the destroyed blades were restored into their former untouched states. Seeing this, Samudramon inhaled sharply in surprise. He backed away towards the deity statue as the Duskmon approached him.
'They are a lot stronger than the Velgemon…' Samudramon thought and looked up. Puspamon and Garudamon were battling each other while the Velgemon seemed to be flocking all around a silver sphere which protected Aldiyamon. He gave a fleeting gaze towards Satriamon and Asuramon; both were still exchanging flaming punches one after another and Satriamon's temper seemed to have reached its peak, evidently shown by the string of curses spewed out from his mouth as he attacked the calm deity Digimon. 'What can I do? The Divine Rain isn't effective, the Double-Edged Thunderblades didn't work much and their armors protect them from lightning bolts. My only chance is…'
Samudramon waved his trident in a horizontal sweeping motion and from out of nowhere, waves of ocean water poured all over the clearing. They slammed the two Duskmon from behind, spiraling around them before lifting them up in a giant water pillar. That had shaken the brutes considerably and Samudramon noted that they were actually struggling. They didn't even try fighting off the water pillar – Samudramon could hear them choking, gasping and howling at the same time. Feeling that he had found a strategy to use against the Duskmon, Samudramon retained the use of his Deep Ocean Submerge. He concentrated hard and without him knowing, visages of glowing blue eyes appeared on his helmet, pulsing with power. The water pillar suddenly expanded twice, and spun like a raging whirlpool, all the while letting out a faint blue glow. The Duskmon howled agonizingly and combusted into data particles.
'What was that…?' Samudramon thought in amazement, and felt his arm muscles tightened and became very sore. The water tornado calmed and flooded the clearing before the water was carried away all over the places. He heard snarls coming from the sideways, and let out a sheepish grin upon setting sight of the drenched figures of Satriamon and Asuramon.
"What the hell was that?!" Satriamon shouted. "I was fighting….oh…" The fiery dragon man turned sideways and nearly sweatdropped upon setting sight of a very pathetic-looking Asuramon. He was now without his flaming hair, and the fire that had been flickering on his back had been put out. He now appeared as a very sullen bald man, drenched from top to bottom. And he looked pitifully weak. "How about that? Looks like the big bad Asuramon is afraid of water now, isn't he?" Satriamon sneered as he raised his gauntlet high. Asuramon only looked up, too weak to move, appearing to already resign to his fate. "Thanks for a good workout though, but you're a bad guy, so…Dragonforce Striker!!"
An explosion of data particles followed soon after, securing the Wira Digital of their victory of the day.
"Oh, good, there's no damage on the temples and the statues and the stairs…only some flood, but they'll get around fixing that…"
Satriamon and Samudramon looked up and saw Puspamon fluttering over the air, inspecting what damages that could have been inflicted over Batu Caves. Aldiyamon descended down, looking unruffled as always, as if not having just been involved in a battle a few moments before. The angelic knight touched down between the two bigger-sized dragon-men and the three of them shook their heads as Puspamon continued her inspection to make sure that the sacred place for Hindus was truly safe.
"She truly is concerned about this place now, isn't she?" Satriamon said, scratching the back of his still-drenched hair.
"Can you blame her?" Aldiyamon replied. "Luckily nothing is damaged and all the civilians are all safe and sound up there on the cave."
"What do you think the attacks are about?" Samudramon asked. "From the looks of it, it seems like the Darkshadow Brethren has everything to do with Liu Ying's kidnapping, despite the evidence which has proven to be otherwise."
"I am afraid that you are right, Samudramon."
The Wira Digital balked in surprise as a semi-opaque yellow fox with nine tails materialized in front of them.
"Youkomon! If you're here…and you're also supposed to be with Liu Ying….what's going on?" Aldiyamon inquired breathlessly.
"Samudramon's deduction is correct. The Darkshadow Brethren does take part in Liu Ying's kidnapping…'
"But how?" Puspamon asked, now with the other Wira Digital.
"Liu Ying is in danger, Wira Digital. You need to come here, but be careful. One of the generals is expecting you," Youkomon said urgently, looking around her as if she was expecting to be attacked. "Unfortunately I am confined in a force-field…I cannot protect my partner, but at least I could alert you…"
"Where are you being held at?" Samudramon asked.
"I think we are currently being held inside an abandoned warehouse. I…I cannot hold on my astral form much longer. The force field is constantly trying to block me. Be on your guards always, Wira Digital…and hurry."
The astral-projected image of Youkomon vanished abruptly as soon as she delivered her warning, leaving the four Wira Digital astounded.
"Now what do we do?" Satriamon wondered.
Samudramon analyzed what Youkomon had relayed on them. "Well, we know that we are near where Liu Ying is being held. Youkomon told us that she's inside an abandoned warehouse, so I think…" The merman looked at his friends. "We better start looking for one, and I think we'll fare better in human forms."
"I still don't understand why Youkomon told us that a general is waiting for us," Puspamon said. "I thought Liu Ying is kidnapped by humans."
"That baffles me too," Samudramon admitted. "From the way Youkomon had said it, it does sound like both humans and Digimon are working together in the kidnapping. But Liu Ying's family has received a ransom letter from the kidnapper, and according to you two…" he gestured to Aldiyamon and Satriamon. "…there are signs that somebody had been lurking around her neighborhood before the kidnapping. Those don't really sound like the way Digimon would attack, I think. If they want Liu Ying, they can just barge into the house and take her. All these sound like a plan that has been carefully thought of. The kidnapper didn't make any mistake. They knew where and when exactly to corner Liu Ying. And the police have no idea where to look."
"Wow, good thinking, Samudramon," Aldiyamon remarked after a moment of silence. He was very impressed with Samudramon's – or rather, Manny's – deductions of the whole situation.
"Let me guess; you know all that by reading?" Satriamon asked Samudramon teasingly.
"Detective novels," Samudramon clarified.
"Man, you really need to get a life," Satriamon commented with a snicker.
"Hey, watch it. At least he's thought of something," Puspamon chided the red-armored dragon man. "I don't see you coming up with a thought."
"I thought of coming here by teleporting," Satriamon pointed out with a lopsided grin. He gave Puspamon a challenging look. "What did you come up with?"
Puspamon glared at Satriamon, not able to come up with any answer. She finally settled with a disgruntled Hmmph and looked away. "Hey, hold on…" she said, as something Garudamon had said earlier came back to her. "Do any of you know what trollop means? That Garudamon called me that and I don't know what that means." She frowned upon seeing Samudramon's pale cheeks turned a deep shade of red and Satriamon's mouth hung open in surprise. Aldiyamon however looked as dumbfounded as she was. "Umm…guys?"
"Come closer," Satriamon beckoned. Puspamon approached him and the dragon-man whispered the meaning of the word to her. Puspamon blushed furiously and balled her hands into fists.
"Why…that potty-mouthed Garudamon!! I oughta…"
"Relax. You deleted him already. Consider that a payback," Satriamon pointed it.
Aldiyamon didn't understand what was going on and merely shook his head. He figured that if Puspamon was that frazzled upon discovering the meaning of the word, he could always ask his cousin about it later. He looked up at the sky which began to show signs that it was nearing early evening. The sun was no longer above them, but somewhere near the western horizon amidst the visible skyscrapers of Kuala Lumpur. In an hour dusk would approach.
"We better get moving now. Let's find a secluded place and dedigivolve."
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Waves of dark energy from the barrier blasted upon Youkomon, devolving her back into a weakened Labramon. The Rookie slumped onto the floor, her beige fur having black spots all over. A cut could be seen on the right side of her body.
Liu Ying gasped in shock. "You don't have to do that!" she shouted at Doumon. Then she cast a worried look at her Digimon partner. "Labramon! Are you alright? Speak to me…please."
"I…I am fine…" Labramon wheezed, opening her eyes tiredly. "Don't…worry…Ying."
Doumon chuckled softly. "Don't think that I did not realize about your attempt back there, foolish dog. I may not know what you were up to, but I did notice something magical tempering with the barrier." The priest-like general closed his eyes again, resuming his meditative pose. "Something tells me that you have attempted to alert the other Wira Digital, but don't trouble yourself with that. I have sent several Digimon to take care of them…hmm…interesting…." Doumon opened his eyes again and stared at Labramon. "The digital signals from the Garudamon and the Asuramon I have sent to fight the Wira Digital have vanished. It seems to me that the Wira Digital have beaten them."
"You're not going to get away with this, ALL of you!" Liu Ying exclaimed, feeling a flutter in her heart. Her friends were coming! She cast her eyes at Labramon and the Rookie Digimon gave an inconspicuous nod towards her – she had warned the Wira Digital. Now her friends would be aware of the threat that was waiting to meet them. "Whatever you're planning, you'll fail!"
"Oh, I won't bet on that, Miss Chang," Riley snickered from the shadows. He slinked forward and placed his hands on his hips, his face smug. The white cloth he had wrapped his injured shoulder was now red with dry blood. "You see, even as we speak I bet now your family is now meeting the DPM, telling him about the demands and the ransom I've told you about." He took out his cell phone and punched in some numbers. "I'll make a call, and I'll put it on loud speaker so that you can hear our conversation…Greetings, Mrs. Chang, and old Mr. Chang."
The firm voice that replied was familiar, but not of her mother or grandfather. Liu Ying's eyes widened when she realized that the one speaking was the Deputy Prime Minister himself.
"Riley Lau. I trust you know who I am?"
"Ah…Dato' Sulaiman Daud. So you are there too. Truly an honor," Riley chuckled, showing that he didn't mean what he'd just said. "This will make things easier. I trust Mrs. Evelyn Chang has told you about my demands."
"They have. That can be arranged, but I want to know that the girl is safe."
Riley snickered and glanced at Liu Ying. "Go ahead, Miss Chang. Say anything you want, satisfy their eagerness to know that you're ok."
Liu Ying gave the kidnapper a dirty glare, refusing to speak anything. Riley looked amused before the scowl-sneer expression returned. He yanked a small black gun from his back and pointed it towards Liu Ying, causing her to gasp. "He…he has a gun!" she said in shock. Riley smiled back in satisfaction.
"What? Riley…if you harm her in any way…"
Riley laughed. "Oh relax old man. The gun's not loaded, see?" He opened the chamber of the gun, and Liu Ying saw that the bullet chamber was empty. "Tell them, Miss Chang! Tell them, or you'll learn that it doesn't take bullets to make a gun useful. Perhaps your late father had mentioned about it before, but seeing that you're too dumb to understand a simple instruction… that seems to be highly improbable."
"It's not loaded…the gun's not loaded," Liu Ying said with a defeated tone, glaring angrily at Riley for his insult.
Riley ignored her, continuing to speak with the Deputy Prime Minister. "There, you see? As long as you comply with my wish, Miss Chang will not be harmed. You have until midnight – I want to hear in the news that my brother has been set free from Kajang Prison where he is held right now. In fact…it's two hours to eight. Change of plans; make the announcement in the eight o'clock news. Then I will disclose a location for you to leave the ransom money, and you'll get back the girl. And no funny stuffs – no police. I know by saying that, you'll alert the whole Bukit Aman police squad to trail my movement. You don't want to do that, seriously. If you value their lives, you will ask them not to try tracking me."
Riley switched off the phone before a reply could be made, and pocketed both the gun and the phone. "Now, we wait for the news. By then, I think we've managed to take care of all the Wira Digital eh Doumon?"
Doumon didn't bother to open his eyes, merely giving the man a perceptive nod as he meditated.
xxx
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"The line is dead," Dato' Sulaiman Daud said, putting the receiver back on the phone with a frustrated growl. He eyed the anxious looks of Evelyn Chang and Grandpa Chang, his expression softening upon meeting the curious gaze of little Chang Liu Meng before it turned stern upon landing on the four policemen and policewoman that were hovering around a brown-haired man with a laptop. Wires could be seen connecting the phone and the laptop as the man typed furiously.
"No matter, I've managed to get a lock on the location," the man declared triumphantly, looking up at the Deputy Prime Minister's face. His azure eyes glinted in excitement as he stared at the screen. Faint green light was reflected from his face. "They are somewhere around Batu Caves. I couldn't get a hold on the exact spot but at least we have a lead."
Dato' Sulaiman Daud nodded. "And who might you be?" he asked – the man was already there when he arrived at the Chang's household. He had assumed that the man was working with the policemen and had paid no heed to him. Now, hearing that the man had been able to track the location of Riley Lau's call, his interest was piqued.
The man stood up and extended a hand. "Jackie Chan. I'm a computer teacher at Liu Ying's school, and also a freelance computer technician and dealer."
"We thought that he could help with tracing the call, sir," a policeman supplied. "He's a computer genius and he's helped around with the computers at the police station."
Dato' Sulaiman Daud nodded as he shook Jackie's hand. "Good work. Now, alert the Batu Caves police station. Tell them to search every nook and cranny for any possible location of this kidnapper. I want him captured tonight."
"Understood, sir." The policeman saluted and stepped outside to make a call.
The Deputy Prime Minister sat down on the couch, pressing his right temple as Mrs. Evelyn Chang served him a glass of cold drink. Jackie stood up and collected his laptop and briefcase.
"Excuse me, sir," he said politely. "I need to take my leave now. There's something else I have to do."
"Of course, Mr. Chan. Thank you for your help. I'm grateful," Dato' Sulaiman Daud said.
"Always happy to help, sir." Jackie stepped out of the house and headed to his car. 'DigiWira…I can't believe that you didn't tell me about this!' he thought as he stepped into the car. He revved up the engine and glanced at a map spread on the passenger seat. Taking out a red marker from his briefcase, he circled out Batu Caves on the map and drove off.
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Author's Notes:
I decided for this story arc to have three chapters instead of two to ensure that it's executed better. Things got so cramped and rushed if this is a two-chapter arc. Splitting it into three give me the chance to feature another Malaysian attraction as well as letting the story progress. This chapter also allows me to feature a new modification for the Wira Digital's attacks, beginning with Puspamon's.
Asuramon and Garudamon have both been specifically chosen to be the enemies in conjunction of the battle taking place at Batu Caves. As Samudramon has clarified in this chapter – the two Digimon are based from Hindu mythology, and Batu Caves is a sacred place for Hindus.
Before anyone ask me about this, I'd like to say that Dato' Sulaiman Daud is a fictional character, not the real Malaysian Deputy Prime Minister. The Dato' prefix in his name is a title knighted by the Sultan to people who have done great deeds and contributions.
And before I forgot; a big THANKS to those who nominated for Wira Digital at the Digital Fanfiction Award. It's truly a big surprise for me. Voting is now open, so if you have the time please send in your votes for this story. Thanks again.
I have done some artworks but they have no connection with this chapter. Check them out via the profile page.