I don't own digimon.

Golemon stared about the dunes. As places to end up were, there were certainly worse places he could've ended up. A volcano, for example. While digital data was in fact quite heat-resistant, that didn't change the fact that parts of his body were not suitable to the heat to begin with on top of accidentally stepping into the stuff and perhaps melting instantly. That was likely the last thing that Gwen would w-

Before Golemon could finish that thought, the sound of excited children rushing up the dune caught his attention. Staring in that direction, he was met with the sight of two children. A boy and girl, they were dressed in swimsuits one would expect to see for a beach. While Golemon hadn't heard anything in the way of waves or even seagulls. Where exactly was he? Perhaps his human had finally decided to move somewhere warmer. Minnesota wasn't really a place that was good for his joints. Especially with that frigid cold.

"Hi." Golemon greeted, waiting a moment for the kids to respond. But all he got was confused the pair. Were they not used to seeing giant digimon like him? Entirely possible. Most of his friends were just as large as him. But they were all back in the digital worlds. If they found he had been whisked off, they would probably be jealous. That was the expected reaction. They too had partners they so dearly wished to get back too. But the digital world refused to cooperate. That, or the person in charge didn't think it was the right time.

"Our parents said that we shouldn't talk to digimon." the girl announced as she raised what Golemon could only assume to be a tiny shovel. Pointed in his direction, it wasn't particularly menacing. Let alone scary. Yet, it was best to play along for everyone's sake.

"Yeah. Scram!" the boy announced, looking more than ready to swing his bucket into Golemon. For now, Golemon stepped back. While that should've been enough, this is children we're talking about here. I love both of mine, but that doesn't change the fact that we're not always going to see eye-to-eye when it comes to these kinds of issues. And that's perfectly fine. I don't want my daughters to think that mommy's word is absolute. Harlequin is not perfect. Never have been, never will be. Of course, then there are other children. Then it's just a nightmare. You have a goober capable of all kinds of feats when they're mad with no way of really gauging whether or not you're doing the right thing. Heck, I nearly got bitten by a wyvern after I accidentally called her strange hybrid daughter a 'dragon'. Yes, I know what the difference is. Just a slip of the tongue. But no, that was enough to set her off. Not my finest moment, but I managed better than I thought I wou- Oh dear. I've gone on quite a tangent. Sorry about that.

"Uh… I'm just looking for my partner and I have no clue where I am. I don't know who hurt you or your family. Okay?" Golemon countered, his words falling on deaf ears as the children decided to pass by. Watching them get smaller and smaller, Golemon took a seat. Taking care to disturb the sand as little as possible, the golem digimon stared out into the horizon. While he could just make out the water, there was no way that he was going to be able to catch up. A far better option would be to wait here and see if anyone would come by. That was bound to work… right? "Now then, what to do while I wait?"

Staring down at the dune, an idea came to the golem digimon. Bending down to reach the sand, he got to work smushing the sand together. By no means the easiest thing in the world (on account of a lack of water), that wasn't going to stop him. Unless someone asked nic-

My statement is cut off by way of Golemon's fist tapping not against sand, but rather metal. Unless this was some kind of testing ground during one of the many wars, there certainly shouldn't be any metal here… right? Staring down, it looked to be that of a barrel ring. Perhaps something to hold two parts together.

"Uh… I think I found something!" Golemon shouted, waiting a moment to see if anyone heard him. Sadly, that too went on deaf ears. If Katie was here, she would've been ecstatic. Though, any excuse to play in the dirt and dig something up. Hopefully, that part of her had remained unchanged. If not, then he would just need to have a talk with her. Nothing major, just to get a better idea of what had happened and what he could do to support her.

Shoving that thought to the backburner, Golemon carefully dug around the metal he had already uncovered. Perhaps it was just a stray piece of a barrel and not… I don't know, a part of a secret base. Yeah… that. Don't get me wrong, there were a couple bases in the digital world beyond Gennai's secret base. But it doesn't make sense to have them suddenly popping up in the human world. Especially with the amount of effort that assfuck went through in order to wipe the slate clean. Yet, what Golemon has found appears to be some kind of tunnel. I was joking about a secret base, okay. Gosh darn it. I wonder if this is how my boss feels sometimes. Has to be.

Nonetheless, Golemon continued the excavation effort. Beyond the metal rim, what looked to be reinforced glass going through on both ends was proudly displayed. Oddly angled, one has to wonder how exactly this structure even got under the dunes. One would think that the weight of the stand would crush it. That, or someone would at least go through the trouble of crushing it beforehand. But considering the original person who built it considered being an irredeemable monster as a substitute for that of actual social ski-

Fuck, fuck, fuck. I know what this is. Of all the places that could end up in a dune leading to a beach, it had to be this underwater hellhole. I would've preferred the jungle, but beggars can't be choosers.

Thankfully, Golemon couldn't hear my thoughts as he wiped away the sands of the dune. If he could, the golem digimon probably would've thought he had gone crazy. Though, the handful of people who had gathered around to gawk probably thought he was. Dressed for the beach, they had to have seen the part of the tunnel that had already been excavated… right?

"Uh… sir? Miss? What do you think you're doing?" one of the onlookers announced and Golemon shifted their attention over to them. Clearly not Katie, he honestly didn't blame them for being curious.

"Trying to get to the bottom of this mystery, if I'm being honest with you." Golemon answered and looked at the dune. At a time like this, an excavator and/or other heavy machinery was the best bet. Sadly, the rangers in charge of the beach were likely to not be happy if such equipment was brought onto the sand. Even if they were fine, could they even get it over here? Golemon honestly doubted it. "Aren't you curious why there's a tunnel hidden by a dune?"

The onlooker shrugged. While this seemed like a big deal to this digimon, they honestly didn't get the point. Some things were best left undisturbed, after all. That, and the beach was getting wrecked. All the more reason to nip this in the bud right now before someone gets hurt. Good luck with that. A part of me wants to see you try, but I know better.

"Not really." the onlooker countered, only for everyone to decide that this was cool enough to join in on the digging operation. While the extra sets of hands would no doubt help, it did make this particular person an odd one out. Which is all the more reason to actually describe them. A man, he had chosen to go with a green hoodie and matching swim trunks. Locks of brown hair have been smoothed over, making his peridot eyes all the more striking. I'm reminded of a friend here. I do hope that version of him in this universe is doing alright. Probably aren't (knowing his circumstances), but one can only hope.

"Oh. so you're the sort who comes to the beach in the hopes of scoring chicks with your rocking abs?" Golemon countered and watched this mysterious onlooker turn red. Clearly not part of whatever mess that showed up two chapters ago, that doesn't change the fact that he is making himself look suspicious here. One would think you would want to avoid that when a mysterious tunnel on the beach is found, but what do I know? Not much, from the looks of it.
"Perhaps I am. Do you have a problem with that?" the onlooker announced and attempted to close the distance. How exactly this was supposed to help is beyond me. Especially when it looks as if he is about to hit Golemon. That's a good way to break your hand. Kind of like that one time I may have accidentally broken a pillar and may have brought the entire building on me. Not my finest moment. Much like this man trying to punch a digimon. You would think people like this would learn. Sadly not, judging by the yipping of pain coming forth from this onlooker. Definitely nothing in the way of broken bones, but that was not a risk most people would take.

"Uh… why did you need to do that?" Golemon inquired and turned to face his possible opponent. Clearly one of those kinds of guys. The sort that was always insistent on trying to look tough, even at the detriment to their own health and/or well-being. The golem digimon had hoped to avoid facing someone like this, but it couldn't be helped here.

"Because you're clearly in the wrong. This beach was beautiful, but then you had the nerve to wreck it. Apologize!" the onlooker announced and Golemon rolled his eyes. He had already wasted more than enough time on this clown. Turning back to the uncovered structure, one could just make out a hole in the tunnel large enough for Golemon to slip through. One small problem. Filled with sand, emptying it out was going to be a long, tedious process to empty. Once they had, then it was likely possible to explore the rest of the building. Katie would be so proud if he could accomplish that. Shoving that thought away for now, Golemon slowly approached the hole in the tube. Bending down, that left him wide open for possible attacks. Which is exactly what the onlooker tried to do here. Getting in his best attempt at a kick, all it accomplished was making Golemon's back feel that much better. At least, that was what it looked like from my angle. Down there, anyone not digging probably thought it looked silly and/or painful. Probably the latter more than the former. Even if it was the former, that can't be good for the feet in the slightest.

"I get that you're mad at me, but have you considered maybe finding someone else to bother?" Golemon inquired, his words falling on deaf ears as he was treated to another kick. Slightly higher up his back than the last blow, that did little to change the fact that his opponent was accomplishing practically nothing. If anything, these blows managed to keep him focused while he did his best to dig through the sand. That, and it had a consistent rhythm to it. Okay… that's certainly a perk. Not one I expected to see listed here, but it's something.

"No, you are more than good enough. Unless someone better comes around, you're stuck with me." the onlooker announced, getting what looked to be glaring and perhaps calls to strike him down. Hopefully none of them go through with that part and instead continue excavating.

"Real talk. Did something happen to you involving a digimon to make you think that this behavior is remotely okay?" Golemon inquired as he scooped out a handful of sand. Setting it far enough away to prevent it from being pushed back in and resetting his progress.

"What if I did? Do you have a problem with that?" the onlooker countered and Golemon sighed. That explained it. Not that it changed the fact on how stupid this whole mess actually was when you thought about it. There's no way that an entirely different Golemon came through and destroyed wherever this is up… right? That would be silly.

"Yes, actually." Golemon answered and looked up to his opponent. At this point, he had cleared more than enough of this tunnel to actually explore it. But which direction to go in first. To be honest with you, I don't even remember how this place was set up to begin with. Not that I ever went here, being stuck in the jungle and all.

Nonetheless, Golemon scooped his opponent up and brought them down into the hole. Even with the light of the afternoon sun pouring in, the darkness of this mysterious place held strong. Would be odd if it somehow didn't.

"Which way do you want to go?" Golemon inquired, watching his companion look away. Because of course he did. Even when forced to work with him, there was still obstacles to work through here. Oh well. Not the end of the world, but still annoying.

"Whichever gets you out of my hair." the onlooker announced and pointed to the left. Golemon nodded and reached out to his hand. Gingerly grabbing hold, care was taken to avoid crushing that particular appendage. While the gesture was nice, that didn't make it any easier. "Heck. What are you even trying to find?"

Golemon shrugged. He hadn't gotten particularly far on that front. Anything was better than nothing here. If they found a body or multiples, those would just be handed over to the authorities. That way an investigation could occur. At least, the golem digimon hoped one would. He couldn't be the only one interested here. While the conspiracy theorists would come out in droves by way of this, hopefully they wouldn't prevent people from doing the due process

"How do I not know you're working for the feds? They absolutely have digimon on their payroll!" his companion blurted out and Golemon shot them a look. Eyes having just dilated to the dark, this was clearly supposed to be some kind of educational facility. Textbooks in Japanese of all languages were scattered about the floor, pencils carefully set beside them. Well-used, it's a far cry from my universe's version of this place. After that giant pussy cat thing showed up and tore a bunch of holes in places. God, that feels like an eternity ago. Funny how time flies.

Continuing their way down the hall, signs of once human activity here were nowhere to be found. One would think one of the unlucky souls would've dropped something in the process, but that didn't look to be the case. If any of them were alive, it would be a miracle unto it-

"Is there anyone out there?" a voice called out and Golemon picked up the pace. Taking care to not accidentally rip off any part of their companion, the dash that followed was relatively short and sweet. Mostly on account of the end of the tunnel rapidly coming into view. The bodies of high schoolers laid in wait, relatively well-preserved by way of the heat. Not that this explained the message written in what Golemon could only assume to be pink paint. The alternative was far more disgusting and worse here.

Julie Enoshima must pay for the atrocities she has commited

Good to know that fucking whore exists in this dimension. Probably related to Lilithmon and the upcoming court case.

Beyond that, a lopmon in a lab coat of all garments was pacing back and forth here.

"I'm here. Can you tell me what happened?" Golemon inquired, bending down so this strange lopmon could have a better chance to look at him.

"We were tricked. Tricked!" the lopmon announced, doing their best to focus on Golemon. Even so, their gaze occasionally looked at the golem digimon's companion with a mix of confusion and anger. Oh. I think I get it now. Not the part about this underground base, but our mysterious onlooker's deal. For now, I'll keep quiet.

"Would it be wrong of me to assume that you're referring to this Julie Enoshima lady?" Golemon continued and was treated to a nod here. Good to know that they were on the same page here. Yet, that just raises further questions. Why had they gone through the trouble of writing the message in English rather than Japanese. Yes, they were lucky to end up in a region of the world that spoke this particular language, but that didn't make it any easier. Add in the number of bodies here, one would think someone would've noticed their child was missing.

"Correct. This was some kind of exchange student program for students with developmental disabilities. In truth, it was just a dumping ground for schools to get rid of problem students."

Oh right. That was how the original mess went. If anything, the quiet part has been said out lo-

I don't even get to finish that thought, our onlooker somehow managed to trip and hit his head right on the side of the wall. Mind you, not the side with the graffiti. No, he hit one of the side walls and exploded into data. Yep, that's him for you. I can only hope that pain doesn't carry through. Would suck if it did.

"So are you a Lopmon Hakase or just a regular Lopmon wearing a lab coat?" Golemon inquired, tuning out the sound of footsteps coming his way.

"Uh… a Lopmon Hakase?" the lopmon announced and slowly walked over to Golemon. Climbing up to the golem digimon's shoulder, they took a seat there. Getting the lightest of pets, that was Golemon's cue to spin around. Taking a couple steps back in the way he had come, that brought him face-to-face with the source of the footsteps. A woman, she was dressed like a construction worker. Dark skin met that of blue eyes, even as a construction helmet obscured part of her dark brown hair.

"Katie?" Golemon announced and felt his partner do her best to wrap her arms around his body. Leaning forward to give her the best possible chance of that gesture succeeding, the results did leave a bit to be desired.

"There you are. When I saw the mess you made, I was worried. But you look like you found a friend…" Katie started, only to catch a glimpse of the bodies. Letting out a sigh, she instinctively reached out to Golemon's hand. Grabbing hold, her gaze shot up to Lopmon Hakase. "Is that everyone?"

Lopmon Hakase stared down at Golemon's shoulder. Doing the mental math in their head, they shoot the bodies an additional glance for good measure. From my count, I see seven. There should be nine… fuck. Fuck fuck fuck. Of course 'he' of all people would find a way to escape. Oh well. That idiot will show up eventually. Right now, my focus needs to be on our current protagonist. Which in this case, meant heading back to the surface. I can only hope the rest of their day goes better. Probably not, considering the discovery of all these dead bodies. Oh well.

Harlequin's Notes:

Ugh.