Well, another chapter is ready for your enjoyment. A little action and an extremely odd view point in this one. Between this one and Behemoth, I'm really enjoying trying to get into the minds of the most unusual characters. Hope you like what I have for you.
As much of a rush Biomerging might be, the intense power and new form it brought, it was nothing compared to this new experience. Even if Terriermon complained about the size difference, the crest gave them more power than he could've ever imagined. Between their new shape, MegaGargomon Empathy Mode, and the digivolution of JewelBeemon, things were actually going their way.
Until another joined the fight. He was humanoid with wings, like an angel, but deadly and sharp-edged. His wings, instead of being composed of long, soft feathers, were made of razor-like blades. His helm concealed most of his face beyond his mouth and strands of blue hair in the back. His helm also bore a curved knife-like "horn." Though he was mostly shiny silver in color, there was an area of blue with gold markings on his arms. Or rather, where his arms would be since his hands and forearms were replaced by long swords. Even his feet were shaped like daggers.
"Oh, come on. Another one?" complained Terriermon's voice. "How is this fair? Why is it the anti-human guys always have more members than our side?"
"Momentai," shouted Veemon, climbing to his feet as he used the rabbit's catchphrase towards them. "I can go Flamedramon and help out this time. Davis?"
"You got it," the boy nodded.
"Veemon Armor digivolve to… Flamedramon, the Fires of Courage!"
While the exchange took place, Dianamon untangled herself from the other mega enough to stare at the new arrival. Her sapphire eyes widened.
"GuardiAngemon, why are you here?" she asked. "It isn't right for you to degrade yourself by associating this close to humans. We can handle them."
"Calm yourself," the sharp-edged being instructed. "I am a guardian, a protector of those in need. And if my followers are threatened, I will defend them."
She closed her eyes and shifted to a softer tone, "Be careful of them. Things are not what they seem and they are filled with surprises."
"As am I," he responded before launching himself towards MegaGargomon.
"Yikes," yelped Terriermon's voice as the Biomerged mega dodged. "Isn't there a rule about running with scissors?"
"I don't think it counts if he's the scissors," remarked Flamedramon before gaining a red fiery aura and announcing, "Fire Rocket!"
Leaping up from where Minervamon's tornado knocked him, JewelBeemon added, "Spike Buster!"
GuardiAngemon parried with his large, blade-like arms, preventing the ultimate and armored digimon's attacks. But it did slow him down enough for the third attacker to strike.
"Laser Sighted!" the dual voices of MegaGargomon shouted as his eyes fired at the vaccine.
What neither half of the robotic digimon expected was for GuardiAngemon to tilt his metallic wings to reflect the light towards the attacker. However, when faced with his own lasers, the Biomerged being responded quickly with his own defense.
"Reflecting Retaliation!" he announced, forming a shield to absorb and reflect the light beams.
"If we keeping bouncing it back and forth, no one will ever win," Terriermon pointed out form the robotic canine's form.
Henry knew his partner was right, but they needed to do more than just beat him. From what Dianamon said, this was their boss. The angelic warrior was the one who believed that humanity was pure evil. He'd listened to a digimon describe the "cruelties that mankind would rain down on the digital world." If they could convince GuardiAngemon that the stranger was wrong, they could stop this entire problem.
"Listen, humans are not what you think," the boy's voice explained. "We don't want to be your enemy. You can't judge all of us by the actions of a few or by what one digimon said. Judge us by what you experience for yourself."
"So you're one of the humans who enslave the digimon's very minds by stealing their form," frowned the sharp-edged being. "I've heard of this recent development. It seems he was wrong on who the greatest threat my followers would be. I will not allow that to continue. Golden Ripper!"
Arms outstretched to form a cross, the angelic digimon began to glow before firing the cross-shaped blast and forcing MegaGargomon to dodge the powerful attack. JewelBeemon used this opportunity to vanish into thin air, preparing for a repeat of his earlier strategy against Minervamon. Flamedramon, after a moment's consideration, positioned himself protectively near the two Digidestined in case either the silvery mega or his followers should try to harm the "evil humans." Happily, Dianamon and Minervamon weren't attempting to fight currently. Neither of them was in the ideal condition for it and the snakeskin-wearing mega appeared to be sulking. Focusing on just the one opponent and convincing him would be hard enough without the mood-swinging data type or the childish vaccine complicating it further.
"No one here is brainwashed or whatever you think," Terriermon shouted as the robotic mega jerked away from an attempted slash of GuardiAngemon's blades. "Except maybe you and your minions."
"Further insolence," snarled Dianamon, using her dual-bladed weapon to climb up. "Let me punish his behavior."
GuardiAngemon shook his head, "You have fought well and deserve to rest. I shall handle the threat myself."
With that, he swatted out apparently at random with his left arm near one of the trees that had survived the fight mostly unscarred. But, as impossibly lucky it might seem to be, the blow connected with the invisible insectoid ultimate and caused him to tumble to the ground.
"Humanity has left you sloppy," the angelic creature commented towards the mildly stunned JewelBeemon. "You may become invisible to the eye, but you brush against tree branches and are not silent to the ear."
"Hey, here's an idea," MegaGargomon suggested moving between the quickly recovering ultimate and the sharp-edged mega. "You listened to one side of the story and accepted it as truth with limited evidence. Why not listen to our side? Wouldn't that be fair?"
GuardiAngemon paused for a moment, giving the Biomerged mega hope for using reason to get through to him. But, the angel shook his head and raised his arms once more.
"No, I will not become bewitched by the lies you would speak," he answered. "I cannot risk becoming a human's slave. Humanity has enough potential for harm without gaining my power."
"Face it, Henry," Terriermon's voice sighed. "Zhuqs would be easier to reason with. He's convinced that one digimon's word is trustworthy because he saved the poor guy and that we're trying to turn him to the 'Dark Side.'"
"But he needs to understand," whispered the boy within the green sphere.
"I am truly sorry that all of you have succumbed to this fate," continued the winged mega. "You would have been fine allies if humanity did not steal you away to serve them. All I can hope is that you will be luckier in your next lives. You will be remembered as brave warriors that deserved better than what mankind has caused."
"Well, nobody's dead yet," Davis shouted. "This isn't a funeral and we don't intend to turn it into one."
GuardiAngemon responded calmly, "Holy Sword!"
The vaccine flew swiftly at MegaGargomon, slamming into the armored robot and cutting at the Biomerged creature with his two arm blades combining into a large sword of light. In a less well-protected digimon, the speedy attack would be devastating. As it was, the force of the blows was uncomfortable and unrelenting. Henry tried to block some of the strikes as he would in a lesson with his sensei, but for each one he caught, three more connected. JewelBeemon tried to join in to defend the robotic digimon, but couldn't even get close with the whirling stikes. If the powerful mega's attack continued too long, even the heavy protection of MegaGargomon wouldn't be enough.
"Purifying Flame Protection!" a familiar dual-voiced being announced as a wall of blue fire formed in between the two megas.
"Who…?" began GuardiAngemon, turning towards the source of the shield.
Henry felt equally surprised by the fire's appearance, but that shock only increased as he saw the identities of the arrivals. Two impressive angels, one a multi-winged male with a sword and a bow-wielding female, each carried a Digidestined with them. The tamer could identify the pair of ultimates easily as the higher stages of Patamon and Gatomon. Standing with them, surprisingly, were a battered-looking Valkyrimon and Marsmon. Unlike earlier, they showed no signs of aggression towards the humans present. They did seem uncomfortable as their leader turned his attention towards them. Finally, a changed but recognizable fox-like shaman stood in front of the powerful gathered digimon.
"I'm sorry about this, but I think you should listen to what these warriors have to say," Marsmon stated firmly.
"The digimon you found and rescued? We've faced him before and he isn't what you think he is," T.K. explained. "Diaboromon doesn't want to help the digital world or anyone."
"Wait, did you say 'Diaboromon'?" asked JewelBeemon, turning towards the Digidestined of Hope.
"As in 'Armageddemon's' other mega stage?" Flamedramon added, stepping forward.
Ken and Davis exchanged worried glances. Henry mentally wished he'd paid more attention to the show back home. It might have been useful to know what the history of this new player on the field was and what he was capable of. But he was willing to bet it wouldn't be good for them.
The silence had lasted for a long time before Miko crept out from under the bed. Earlier, strange humans stomped around her territory, peering around her humans' room and even spotted her before losing interest and going back into the main room. Later, large crashes and shouts erupted from the other room, but the feline stayed under her boy's bed until she was certain all of them were gone.
She carefully lifted her nose and breathed deeply. There were no fresh scents from the strangers, but no fresh familiar ones either. She could still pick up the residual traces of the apartment's residents, even while they weren't home. The smell of the tall male, the tall female who smelt of burnt food, and the smaller humans who carried with them the "special" smell of their strange not-humans. The not-humans, the Fire-lizard and the Cat-not-cat, acted like the humans did, but didn't look or smell like them. Still, Miko knew they were family and thus belonged to her.
She knew the not-humans well. She met the first one long ago, when her small female human used a little metal thing to make high-pitched noises. The not-human from those nearly forgotten days had been small, round, and tried to steal her food. She did not tolerate that and scratched the thief. And her small, male human when he got in the way too, but he should have known better than to interfere with her. Then, years later when her humans grew taller, the not-human smell appeared all over the city and her humans began keeping these small objects with lots of lightning-smell. Many objects have that lightning-smell, especially things that get warm when her humans use them or make beeping sounds, but it was far fainter than what you get in the air right before a serious lightning storm. Humans use "tamed lightning" for many things, but his smaller humans held lots of "tamed lightning" in the small, round things. Only humans with not-humans have the "strong tamed lighting objects." Now, Miko could find those objects and the not-humans easily since she knew what to search for.
But there were more than one way to find humans with not-humans. Not only did they have the "strong tamed lightning objects," but the "special" smell also stayed on them. The not-humans each had their own unique smell, like how Cat-not-cat smelled almost like another feline, but there was also the underlying faint scent almost like "tamed lightning" and yet different and weaker than that on the warm, talking box thing or other human things. It was the "special" smell that identified them as being not-humans. The smell clung to their humans, like how she rubbed her smell on her possessions and humans so that everyone would know they belonged to Miko. And the not-humans also gained a hint of their humans' scent in return since they spent so much time together. The cat could match the pairs together easily as their smells began to overlap.
Now, her humans, not-humans, and the strangers were gone. The living room was littered with pieces of glass, wall, and some puddle that smelled like the tall female's food. A breeze stirred her fur, gaining access through a hole where the glass door once let the sunlight through to warm her during the day. She could get outside now through the gaping hole, but she wasn't planning to risk encountering a dog right now. Even with the earlier strangers and destruction of the apartment, home was far safer.
As another breeze came in, carrying the sounds and smells of the city to her feline nose, she felt the fur on her back raise up defensively. Something wasn't right. Barely detectable, Miko could feel something wrong, but couldn't identify it. It wasn't a sight, a sound, or smell. It was a feeling of slowly approaching threat, like how she might stalk a mouse. Only she was the mouse in this case, though she couldn't think of what would hunt her. Or was it seeking larger prey? Either way, she didn't like it. Her white and reddish fur puffed out around her until she was twice her size.
Slowly, she stepped out onto what was left of the balcony. Whatever was coming, it was bad. It reminded her of an impossibly strong storm, but one that hunted like a cat. She knew she should stay in her home, where dogs and danger could normally be kept away. But her territory had been invaded, attacked, and was no longer safe. Until she found her humans and not-humans, she would risk the city. Just as long as she stayed away from what was coming.
The cat leapt down to the next balcony carefully, taking time with each pounce. She wasn't getting any younger, after all. These stunts were easier for a feline of two or three rather than one nearly nine years old. Upon reaching the ground level, she took off running along the sidewalk, putting distant between her and a slowly advancing mist that was covering the ground behind her.
The strange blue fog was spewing out of every computer screen and she knew it was his fault. The blond woman pressed herself against the wall, nursing her numb hand. When the computer started releasing the mist, she'd been trying to hack back into her own system. As soon as the first tendrils of fog touched her hand, it went numb and cold to the touch. She'd been forced away, silently glad that the mist didn't act like normal fog and fill the room. It was taking the shortest path out of the building, moving from the glowing screen to the floor to the window and out. If she was careful, she could avoid it and hope the mist hadn't done any permanent damage to her.
Tamiko Mizutani, brilliant programmer and ex-DADP employee, refused to accept her role as a scape-goat, Diaboromon's puppet, or the damsel in distress trapped in a tower by the deadly monster. She didn't want to be helpless. She could stay here against the wall or she could do something.
Creeping around the stream of blue mist, she moved to the other side of her desk. With a glare at her computer monitor, she ripped the cords free of the wall and the machine. The light erupting from the screen died and the mist stopped emerging. The woman nodded to herself with satisfaction. It was a step in the right direction, but she was nowhere near fixing the problem. She could see other clouds of mist flowing past the doorway and down the hall, emitting from other DADP computers left running by her former co-workers.
"Moronic jerks," she growled under her breath, uncertain if she meant the members of DADP, the digimon currently controlling everything, or herself for being so easily manipulated.
She wrapped the cord up and looped it around her arm. Something told her to be prepared for whatever the digimon might try. Trapped by that strange fog, cut off from any real technology, and unable to feel her left hand, she needed to make use of anything at her disposal. No matter how strange or useless it might at first appear, a creative mind could find a way to use it.
…"He might be bigger, stronger, smarter, and more deadly than us or anything we've run into before now," the goggle-wearing boy stated, giving every one of the kids and impossible beings a determined look. "But we're creative, adaptive, and too stubborn for our own good. And we can work as a team better than anyone while he's alone. If we've survived all this time on our own, we must be doing something right. If we can survive that little blue pest of Jay's," he jerked a thumb at a small creature that couldn't exist, but she knew that he was as real as the feathery being beside her, "then this creep will be back across the Wall of Fire in no time."
"Well, if I'm such a pest," the blue creature sneered, "I guess you don't need my help on the whole 'save everyone from evil' thing. I'll just start taking a few bets on the outcome, Ri…"…
"No," she hissed, clutching her head in frustration. The memory of the hallucination, shoved back by therapy and medication, was becoming too difficult to forget. It took so long to admit it was only a dream originally, to stop being the "crazy girl" that lost her connection to reality that she couldn't afford to remember and believe that fantasy. She focused on the same statement that she'd always used to keep her mind on the truth, one that she developed based on her therapists' various pieces of advice and explanations. "It isn't real. It was never real. It's just a dream. This is reality. That was a lie. The place, the events, and everyone were fake. It isn't real."
…She felt tears rolling down her face, "But I don't want to go home. What if we never see each other again?"
"I promise," a soft voice whispered. "We'll see each other again. You're my friend, Ta…"…
…Her mother shook her head, "You need to stop this. It's been going on for two years now and after that attack the other day, you've gotten worse. There was no 'giant dinosaur' or 'parrot.' I was hoping you would out-grow this… thing, but I think we need to do something more serious about it."
"Mom, it was real," she asserted, her stormy-grey eyes flooded with frustrated tears. "I know it was. It wasn't a dream. She promised I'd see her again and…"
"I made you an appointment to see a therapist," the parent stated firmly. "You can't live in this fantasy any longer. This… friend of yours isn't real and isn't coming. It was a dream. He'll help you forget this nonsense and you can get back your life."
"I don't want to forget," the girl muttered…
"It isn't real and never was," she whispered once more.
She glanced between the bottle lying across the room where she tossed it and her desk drawer where she kept those pills next to a very different item. Two objects, both opposing in nature and yet kept close at all times. One used to keep away memories of the hallucination and one that she kept as a sentimental trinket.
She should bring them, though she didn't have the time for her pills to kick in and the other was nothing but an odd toy, likely an electronic game, she couldn't even remember how to use anymore. How many times in her teen years had she tried to throw it away only to go digging through dumpsters to find it again? She couldn't give it up, even if it was useless. And she knew that same instinct meant she needed to take it too.
She pulled open the drawer and picked up the toy. The piece of old technology was rectangular and clunky; the thick object possessed similar dimensions as a deck of playing cards. Three white, square buttons rested below a tiny screen and the whole surface was a light shade of grey. The top held a small space that looked like a port to connect to a computer, but didn't fit any of the usual cords. Likely it was some kind of custom cord to attach between the different toys, but sales must have been pathetic since she never saw another kid playing with it or she might have asked what kind of game it was. She couldn't even recall playing it once. But she had to keep it.
Armed with a length of cord and a useless toy, Tamiko Mizutani finally ventured out into the hallways where the blue mist flowed. If she couldn't hack her way to a solution, she'd take the more direct approach and stop the computers manually. Diaboromon wouldn't succeed if she had anything to say about it.
Okay, first off, writing as a cat is hard. But kind of interesting as well. And I get to explore a certain aspect. Guilmon is always saying he "smells" a digimon. So, how do digimon, as a group, smell? Well, rather than ask the bread-loving reptile, I had Miko describe it. Plus, I wanted to check on the cat since she was at home during the major destruction. It is little things like that I end up wondering about at random moments. And, while lightning and electricity itself doesn't have a particular smell, it can form ozone briefly until the oxygen atoms return to a more stable form and ozone does have a smell. During lightning storms, you can sometimes smell it, so it makes sense a creature with a more sensitive nose might detect it in electrical appliances like computers or digivices (or creatures that are technically made of data…) in very weak quantities.
Some more flashbacks from Tamiko Mizutani, but she's still trying to avoid becoming the "crazy girl" she was considered to be once. Medicine, years of therapy, and anger at her loss is fueling her denial, but that can't last forever.
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