Act 1: Beating Heart
Segment 3: A Glorious Arms Race
Chapter 3-10: In Over One's Head
Another heart dissolved thanks to Rhodramon's incredible speed. It leapt off a wall and showed the others to a stairwell. "Next floor, let's keep moving!" The stairs had made no sense – they had gone from the seventh, which didn't exist, to the second, up to the fourth. There was no guarantee this next one would be any more sensible.
Gabumon perked up. "Hey, Rhodramon! Now I remember who you remind me of!"
"Hm? Who?"
"Uvee."
It looked down at itself and grinned. "Heh, if only I were so fast or strong." It opened the stairwell door and looked down. "Looks like we're heading down again." The others filed in after it. The data centre, unlike last time, seemed to only be partially corrupted. Perhaps it wouldn't be as serious as last time, although the humanoid Plasmids were certainly stronger than the more amorphous forms that had come before.
"Who's Uvee?" asked Satsuki.
Gabumon replied, "Oh, we just shorten UlforceVeedramon to Uvee."
"Kazuhiko, who's UlforceVeedramon?"
Kazuhiko looked Rhodramon up and down. It did resemble it, somewhat. "It's a Royal Knight!" he replied, "and one of the fastest Digimon out there, because of its blue Chrome Digizoid armour. Right, Strikedramon?" It nodded. "At least the Royal Knights seem to be consistent with what we know about them."
Strikedramon was still surprised. "I'm amazed how much humans have gotten right about Digimon, to be honest."
"Me too. It can't be a coincidence… right?" Kazuhiko looked at the others. Satsuki shrugged, along with Asuka. Ryuta stared wordlessly ahead as he descended the stairs alongside his Partner.
Rhodramon stopped suddenly, partway down the stairwell. "You hear that?" it whispered. The others halted. Strikedramon shook its head. Gabumon and Hawkmon turned around and stared at each other, then Rhodramon. They heard nothing as well. "Guess it was just me." They continued, but Rhodramon seemed unsettled. As they approached the bottom, marked as the third floor, there was a faint groaning. "Again!" it hissed. "Ah… I sense some enemies. On your guard."
It cautiously cracked the door open. The third floor was the most messed up floor so far – completely covered in black webbing and with humanoid Plasmids seemingly in hibernation, standing in translucent pods affixed to the server racks, like they were in stasis. "Is this where that sound came from?" whispered Strikedramon. Hawkmon motioned to its beak to keep quiet.
Rhodramon looked around. There were tens of humanoid Plasmids in pods here. If they kept silent they might be able to sneak through to the hearts inside of the server cage. They shuffled through, trying not to clack their clawed feet or squeak their rubber soles on the metal floor. Kazuhiko watched with a curious horror as a pod squeezed and shifted around the occupant inside, which did not have a fully formed body. It was like a giant alien chrysalis, just waiting for the Plasmid inside to complete its transfiguration. The Plasmid inside groaned again as a tube descended from above and pierced the translucent sac. The tube attached to its torso, like an umbilical cord.
He wanted to throw up, but now was not the time to be sick. He squeezed Strikedramon's hand, who squeezed back. It didn't like any of this either.
A metallic clang sounded from below. The Tamers and the Digimon froze. Nothing. It might have been something bumping around in a vent. Another clang. Rhodramon grimaced and motioned to the others to keep moving. They were winding their way around the labyrinth-like racks of servers, and they were almost to the three hearts inside. They continued to shuffle. The server cage door creaked open uncomfortably loudly as Ryuta pushed it open. He cringed and checked around.
Nothing other than the sound of the same black fluid being squeezed through arteries around them, presumably nourishing the Plasmids through the umbilical cords. He let out a pent-up breath and followed Rhodramon into the cage. They would be vulnerable now if they were attacked.
They continued past the rows of servers, where Rhodramon was sensing the hearts. The others could sense them too now. Rhodramon pointed at Strikedramon, then at one of the hearts, then at Gabumon and Hawkmon, then at one of the others, and finally at itself and the final heart. Gabumon, Hawkmon, and Strikedramon nodded. They understood. As they made their way to get line of sight of the three hearts beating together, though, they froze.
There was a person there, dressed in street clothes. He seemed like a professional and was wearing a formal shirt, slacks, and dress shoes. He might have been an employee. Whatever the case was, he was tied up in a chair with some kind of helmet fabricated by the surrounding corruption that extended into the hearts themselves via wires, and was tied down by the wrists, waist, and ankles.
They looked at each other, unsure of what to do now. Did they free the person? Or did they go after the hearts first? This was horrific. If cutting the hearts caused damage to the human sitting there, what would they say? What would they do? But if freeing the human alerted the other Plasmids…
Strikedramon motioned to the human sitting there and made a cutting motion and pointed to its own wrists and ankles. Gabumon nodded in agreement. Hawkmon pointed to the hearts. Rhodramon looked at the four humans. They shrugged, not knowing at all what to do. Rhodramon steeled itself and waved above its head. They needed to cut those wires first. Hawkmon shrugged.
Rhodramon crept up in front of the chair. The human sitting there didn't respond. Rhodramon raised a clawed hand, grasped the wires, then sliced through them. The human sitting in the chair screamed. "Help me!"
Rhodramon jumped back. "Did I make a mistake?" it worried. The human continued to scream. The Plasmids began to rouse. "Well, one way or another – cut those hearts!" The four Digimon hurried to slice them open, but it made no difference. The Plasmids continued to awaken. Clear fluid spilled everywhere as they emerged, white sclera fixated on the Digimon and the Tamers.
Kazuhiko swallowed. "W-w-we're in it now! Strikedramon, don't give them one inch!" He gripped Satsuki's hand. She squeezed back.
"Got it!" The Plasmids' fluid bodies were able to liquefy and squeeze through the cage bars, but Rhodramon and Strikedramon cut them down before they posed too much of risk. Gabumon and Hawkmon cut through the binds tying down the human and threw the helmet away. The human panicked out of the chair and ran towards the Tamers. Asuka and Ryuta stopped him from running.
"Let me go!" he shrieked. "Let me go!"
"Sir, please, calm down!" Asuka pleaded. She got a good look at the man. He was possibly in his forties or fifties.
Strikedramon and Rhodramon backed up to reassess. They were able to cut down some of the Plasmids, but there were too many squeezing through. They raised their arms, and suddenly, their fingers lengthened into vine-like growths.
Rhodramon put its left hand up. "Antioxidation!" A faint blue barrier surrounded the humans and the other Digimon. The vines bounced harmlessly off the barrier. "Thank goodness for that."
"Push the counter!" Strikedramon yelled with its fists burning. It charged ahead and danced like a soul possessed, its fiery claws cutting through the Plasmids. Rhodramon charged up its maw and blasted the beam through tens of the Plasmids surrounding them, evaporating them with ease.
"Phew," sighed Gabumon. "Thanks again, you two."
"No problem!" Strikedramon saluted.
The human had calmed down and was now sprawled on the floor. His chest heaved as he panted. "Where? Where? What is this?" he gasped as he looked around. Ryuta and Asuka were still pinning him down to prevent him from bolting.
"Sir, deep, slow breaths," Asuka said. "Satsuki, Kazuhiko, help keep him sat upright."
"Sure," she said, and she and Kazuhiko helped the man sit properly.
His head swiveled around. "Why… why are you kids in here? How did you get in here?! This place is locked down!" He wiped spittle off his mouth. "Never mind. What – what is going on?" He glanced up, putting Strikedramon and Rhodramon in his view. He screamed incoherently again and curled up, resisting Ryuta's firm grip.
"Sir, what is your name? Do you recall?" asked Asuka, going through concussion procedure, to make sure he had an intact memory and consciousness.
"Uh… Isono Tomonobu." He still seemed panicked.
"Mr. Isono, do you remember what day of the year it is?"
"Saturday? March… no, today is March 26, so Friday. Yes, Friday. Who are you?"
Asuka smiled. He was sound of mind, or at least mostly. He would probably be fine. "Nagatomo Asuka. You're safe now. Please follow my finger." He stared intently at her held-up finger, which she moved up, down, then back to in front of his face.
"What… what are those things behind you?" he asked, his gaze following her finger left and right. Asuka nodded. He would be okay and just needed to calm down for a bit. The shock was probably still keeping him awake, so they would likely need to make sure he was well-supported afterwards.
"I, uh… should we tell him, guys?" she looked at the others.
Kazuhiko turned to Satsuki and Ryuta. "I don't know. I really don't think we should."
Ryuta was in agreement, but Satsuki replied, "I think he might not remember after this. Even if we did – would anyone believe him?"
"No… no, they wouldn't," agreed Kazuhiko. "Mr. Isono, these are Hawkmon, Gabumon, Strikedramon, and Rhodramon." They waved back.
Tomonobu repeated the names. He shook his head. "Okay." He seemed to be too out of it to understand what was happening. "I…" he started. He looked down at his hands and feet and clutched himself. "I'm real. Okay. This is real."
"Mr. Isono, this is real. We all are. Ryuta, I think you can let him go now." Ryuta released his grip that was pinning Tomonobu's legs to the floor. "We'll get out of here together," Asuka assured him.
"We will? Alright."
Asuka tried not to laugh. It was silly, but he was still in shock. She shouldn't laugh, she told herself. "Can you stand?" she asked.
Tomonobu struggled to his hands and feet. His legs shook as he stood up, and Ryuta rushed in to give him support. "One step at a time," he guided, as Tomonobu took some unsure steps.
They emerged from the server cage. "Strikedramon, it looks like we're not done," whispered Kazuhiko to his Partner. Strikedramon nodded. "Rhodramon, what's next?"
Rhodramon guided them towards what appeared to be another stairwell. "Down again. There's something big down there. I think it's the final one," it replied.
Tomonobu blinked as they entered the stairwell. It was oddly uncorrupted and bright with fluorescent lights. "What's going on in here?" he wondered.
"I wish we could say for sure," Ryuta replied, "but all we know is that this data centre has been taken over by something alien. It might not be much more than you know."
The slightly balding man struggled down the steps with Ryuta's and Asuka's support. "All I remember," he muttered, "is being in the elevator, when the lights went out, and the doors opened on the third floor, and these big black things with shapeless bodies grabbed me and dragged me into that server cage, and the next thing I knew, I was being woken up."
Satsuki and Kazuhiko, as well as the Digimon, glanced back at the three humans behind them, asking with their stares as to what might have happened. Ryuta pondered out loud, "Then I think we know how those Plasmids gained such a familiar form."
"They absorbed information from Mr. Isono?" asked Gabumon.
"It seems likely. They are trying to evolve as much as they can in this arms race, after all," he replied.
Unsettled, they continued down the stairwell. "Basement floor two," announced Rhodramon. It shook its head. "And generator room. The weirdness doesn't stop." It peered through the window. The space on the other side seemed cavernous and massive. "This seems like it's the last one." It opened the door. As they stepped through, Kazuhiko's mouth dropped open. The giant heart took two whole floors.
"Well, the sign didn't lie," remarked Satsuki as they stepped into the giant room. "It generated a lot of Plasmids, that's for sure!" She stepped back as the Plasmids took notice of them. The room, at least, was large enough for Garurumon, who galloped away, flanked by Aquilamon, Rhodramon, and Strikedramon.
"I don't like this," muttered Asuka. "It's a lot of Plasmids."
"Any smart ideas?" asked Kazuhiko to the group. They kept distance as the giant heart squelched out more Plasmids. Rhodramon roared as it flashed around the room and speared several Plasmids. Aquilamon knocked a number of them directly at Strikedramon, who punched them one by one. Garurumon hopped from railing to railing, dodging and blasting Plasmids with fire.
Ryuta massaged his shoulder. It was starting to tense up. Asuka was right – it would be pretty sore very soon, and probably swollen the next few days. He didn't want to move it. "Just go for the arteries, like last time, I guess." He looked up. It was a nice idea, but this time it seemed the heart's veins and arteries were protected in thick metal shielding. In fact, the whole heart was surrounded in a transparent cage, probably glass or acrylic. It was already learning to protect its systems more effectively.
"If we could break through that metal shielding, that would work, but I don't know if we can," said Satsuki. Rhodramon whistled past them, fluttering her hair. "Do you think Rhodramon could break it open?"
"Already ahead of you!" it yelled, as it leapt up and tucked into a roll. "Full Throttle!" It rammed into the metal shielding and managed to dent it. It bounced off and landed on a railing on the floor above. "Guess we gotta try again. Hup!" It charged a second time, but this time a Plasmid met it midair. This one was armour-plated, just like Rhodramon, and successfully managed to halt Rhodramon. It grabbed the dragon and threw it down toward the ground.
"Yikes!" Rhodramon tucked into a roll and managed to come to a stop. "Ryuta, this is bad!" The two faced off, pacing in a circle. "How are the others doing?"
Ryuta looked around. With Rhodramon distracted, the Plasmids were heading their way. Satsuki yelled out to Garurumon. "Garurumon, come down here!"
"Aquilamon! Form up!" Asuka yelled.
Aquilamon turned mid-air and zoomed toward them as Garurumon leapt down and wrapped its jaws around a Plasmid, shook its head, growled, and flung it away. It positioned itself in front of the Tamers along with Aquilamon and Strikedramon. "Strikedramon, we have to find some way to target that heart's defences!" Garurumon said as Aquilamon roared and blasted ring-shaped laser beams at the oncoming Plasmids. The wiped-out Plasmids were quickly replaced. Rhodramon and the armoured Plasmid launched themselves at each other, turning into a blue and black blur, as they bounced off each other repeatedly, both of them unable to get a chance to charge up a stronger attack.
"I'm aware!" shouted Strikedramon as it punched away another two Plasmids rushing them, then grabbed another one, and slammed it into the ground. The floor cracked.
"Wait! That's it!" Kazuhiko looked at the crack. "Use the Plasmids against the heart itself!"
Strikedramon grinned at Kazuhiko. "Kazu, I like that idea! Come here, ya big aliens, I'll send you on a ride!" Another two Plasmids rushed at them. Strikedramon grabbed one and then the other and flung them at the clear shielding. "Have fun!" They splatted and dissolved as they crushed the clear shielding, cracking it.
"More, keep it up!" cheered Garurumon, fending off another few Plasmids. "I'll send them your way, Strikedramon!" It turned around and kicked some of them at Strikedramon, who grabbed them by the necks and flung them at the shielding like pitching practice.
"Hey, I'm enjoying this!" shouted Strikedramon. Plasmid after Plasmid struck the clear shielding. The cracks spiderwebbed across the surface until finally it shattered. "Yeah!" Strikedramon yelled and fistpumped.
The armoured Plasmid suddenly shrieked, along with the other remaining Plasmids, making the Tamers, Tomonobu, and the Digimon wince. The bloodcurdling screams continued for several seconds. "This sucks!" Asuka exclaimed, still covering her ears.
The heart suddenly lashed out tendrils and stabbed the into the backs of the Plasmids' heads and reeled them in. They screamed. Finally, at least, they had mouths – giant, gaping, red mouths. Satsuki figured it wasn't any better than when they were mouthless. One by one, they were pulled into the heart, which expanded outwards and upwards. It beat and squeezed rapidly as the Plasmids were fused into it. The metal shielding cracked, then burst open. Metal panels rained down as the heart rippled and turned red. As it pumped, the black substance formed into a ribcage around the heart, which then became lined with more fluid, forming into a human chest and torso, like a man had been half-buried in the floor up to the hips. Arms sprouted from the torso, which slammed fists into the floor, then followed by a head.
Kazuhiko made a high-pitched grunt, his face pulled into a wide-eyed grimace. Satsuki looked over at Strikedramon. "Still having fun?" she asked. It shook its head. Garurumon yelled, "Run!" as a fist came up. The colossus roared and swung its fist at them. Strikedramon sprinted as quickly as it could, while Satsuki had hopped on Garurumon's back and fled, and Ryuta was being carried in Rhodramon's arms.
Aquilamon hadn't moved. Asuka and Tomonobu were behind it, and it was pinned. Despite unleashing Blast Laser at the oncoming fist, it was only deflected, and the punch swiped Aquilamon in the head. It groaned and slammed into the wall, then collapsed in a heap.