Chapter 22: The Daring Escape

Gabumon and I ran out of the restroom quickly. Chaos was in the halls, crowds of people running about in a panic.

"The lab!" I shouted to Gabumon. Pushing his way through the crowd, I let the Digimon lead. Several times I was almost knocked over by the occasional collision with another person, likely heading to the elevator in the opposite direction.

We finally reached the lab as a loudspeaker broke through the confusion and noise. "Code aqua! Code aqua!" the speaker shouted loud and commanding. "Intruders have invaded the vicinities!"

We rushed into the lab. It was empty, fortunately. Gabumon got to work at opening the large glass lid over Tai's bed. I soon joined him and, with a heave, we slid the covering off.

Tai was breathing lightly but abruptly. I glanced over to Gabumon. "Will he wake up?"

Gabumon shook his head. "He's too sedated." Reaching out for the Koromon (as Matt had earlier explained to me what Tai was called in his current form), the tiger-like Digimon gently took Tai from his bed. Gabumon protectively held Tai close to his stomach, which the sleeping Digi-human nuzzled into gratefully, a look of calm finally settling into his face.

"Alright." Gabumon nodded to me. "Let's go."

I nodded and turned towards the exit – just in time to see a large humanoid figure slam the doors open and enter the lab. I backed up with a start. Even with his lab technician suit on, I knew quickly who it was.

"Ha! Hahaha! The reptile. What a surprise." Mocked the creature. The same creature who had forced me to Lab 5. "Filthy creature! I knew that you weren't here to work."

The technician sneered before continuing. "And I suppose you wanted to steal the specimen, the one and only possibility to restoring all our lives!" He stepped closer. "What kind of a fool are you?"

I felt my anger rise, even against the much larger being. "You're right! He can help restore everyone's lives! But not like this! Not by testing him and observing him!"

He leaned forward with mock curiosity. "And what, pray tell, could the little ball there ever amount to without some hard research being done on him?"

Gabumon held me back from saying more. "He will save us." The Digimon glanced to me for a moment. Then he said determinedly, "Let us go."

The massive technician laughed heartily. "Or I could just crush you like the filth you are!"

The movement was swift. The technician ran forward with such speed it almost didn't register with me that he even moved. Gabumon let out a shout. He was about to be hit by the technician's raised arm!

"No!" I jumped toward the technician like I had never jumped before, swiping my claws about in an enraged fury. My blows struck the technician's face, causing him to stumble.

"You dirty lizard!!" the technician screamed out as I landed. I could only glance up before an underhand blow hit me in the stomach, causing me to fly back a short distance.

I growled in pain but stumbled to my knee, glancing at the technician to see him slowly approach me, his attention towards Gabumon lost. I quickly observed the damage I had done. The technician's face mask was removed, and I stared into the scary face of the figure. It was metallic but humanoid and a metal plate covered the upper half. Cut out of that were two holes for the technician's frightening, glowing eyes. His neck was strewn with several wires.

"It's an Andromon!" Gabumon gasped, still holding Tai protectively. "Xaiver!"

By the panic in Gabumon's voice, I knew that this guy, Andromon, was tough. And he looked like it.

"Gabumon! Go!" I yelled, pointing to the doorway.

"Rrrghh!! No!!" the Andromon technician yelled in a fury and panic, running to intercept Gabumon from exiting.

I scrambled to my feet. But there was too much distance. Too little time. And the Andromon had another blow primed for the back of Gabumon's head!

Suddenly, a thought struck into my mind. Ro using flame breath to try to open the front door of the hospital. Me and him both being of the 'fire' type.

"I kinda guessed that I was." I had said, with a glance at my flaming tail. "But does this mean I can breathe fire too?"

"Probably." Matt had responded. "It just would make sense."

I blinked for a moment. I knew what I needed to do now.

After throwing my face mask off, I quickly breathed in, and then back out as hard as I could. At first, nothing happened. An instant later, however, I felt something open in the back of my throat, and a burst of fire escaped rapidly from my mouth, scorching the technician's back moments before he made contact with the readied attack He let out a howl of pain and fell to the ground.

"Xaiver..." Gabumon looked at me, obviously shocked at either my appearance (now revealed with the mask off) or my attack.

"Gabumon!" I hurried over, wasting no more time. "What's the most indiscreet way outta here?"

He recovered quickly. "The service elevator!"

"Lead on!" I commanded, glancing back only for a moment at the figure whose back I had blackened. He was still on the ground.

"Dirty...trick...you...disease-ridden....pest.." he sputtered out.

I dashed out of the lab with Gabumon. The Digimon glanced down the right end of the hallway. Looking with him, my heart rushed. The hallway was being slowly organized and searched by a platoon of guards, putting the panicking lab technicians in order and looking...for us.

"Hurry!" Gabumon nudged me, holding Tai more closely so as to conceal him.

We rushed all the way to the end of the hallway. The large, heavy doors explained quickly to me that it was the service elevator.

I helped Gabumon heave open the outer metal doors, the Digimon having only one paw free (the other holding Tai), then the Digimon slid open the fence-like inner door.

Suddenly a guard noticed our efforts. "Hey! Stop and move away from the elevator!"

A section of the platoon broke off and pushed their way through the crowd towards us.

"Quickly!" Gabumon had already entered the elevator, and I hurried after him.

The guards pushed all the way through the crowd.

Gabumon pointed to the outer doors, which we began to close.

The guards aimed their guns.

The outer doors shut just before the guards fired, but the bullets shot through the metal haphazardly in some places, fortunately not hitting us. Gabumon fell to the ground to escape the fire.

I slammed shut the inner gate-door, hit the 'Up' button, and threw myself onto the floor of the elevator next to Gabumon. I felt the wind of a bullet barely above my head as I hit the ground.

The elevator started up, thankfully, quite quickly, sending us out of the line of fire.

I breathed heavily. "You okay, Gabumon?"

He nodded, looking down at Tai, still held safely in his arms. I respected the Digimon's care for the safety of the Digi-human.

Gabumon got slowly to his feet, and I did the same. "The exit is left, then right, then directly forward. We need to rush it."

I nodded, dreading the numerous possibilities. Was there going to be a regiment of guards ready to shoot us as soon as we exited? Or would it be a clear path?

The elevator groaned to a halt, and shook as it stopped. I silently opened the doors with Gabumon...

There was nothing outside of the elevator. I glanced carefully along both directions of the hallway outside. Nothing.

I motioned Gabumon to come out, and we rushed quietly down the left corridor.

As we reached the point where we were to turn right, I heard sounds of fighting in that direction. No guns were being shot, but it was brutal-sounding close combat. I heard Ro bark.

"It's Ro!" I explained to Gabumon. "My pet! Stay here and come out when I tell you to!"

"Pet?" Gabumon said, puzzled, but nodded.

I rushed out into the entrance lobby just in time to see Matt land a fainting blow onto the jaw of a guard. Ro was nearby, barking-cheering along.

He hardly glanced at me. "Well?!" he look exhausted. I guessed it was a difficult fight.

"Hi Master!" Ro said casually.

I nodded. "Gabumon! It's okay! Let's get outta here!"

Matt glanced, surprised, first at me, then at the appearing Gabumon, then atthe Koromonin his partner's arms.

"Matt!" Gabumon shouted.

Matt recomposed himself. "Let's get the heck out of here!"

No one disagreed. We all dashed out of the hospital. It was black, night, the only light produced by a half-moon. But it was also quiet.

Sensing no danger, we hurried off of the hospital grounds.

Ed: Here's a nice long chapter for you all. Somebody-or-other said they were getting too short. So...I serve to please! )

Also, I have another question. Can anybody tell me the attacks of the rookie forms of the Digi-destined's Digimon? And describe what they look like / how they are performed? Thankies!

In addition, if any of you feel you have an ideaabout what should happen next in my story, by all means share it. It might help me sometimes. )

Lastly, I want to say that I always appreciate a good critique. If you feel something's not right, or feel I could improve in some aspect, by all means share it.

Thanks!