Episode 12: Lust

A girl scrolls through social media when she receives a text. She rolls her eyes and opens it up, the message reading, 'Do you think an older man like me is attractive?' She closes the message and puts her phone facedown on the table. Concerned, a flower-like Digimon approaches her. "Is it that guy again?"

"It is!" she flares out. "I don't know what to do anymore, Floramon!"

"Samantha, maybe it's time we go to someone about it? Or confront him in some way?"

"Maybe…" Samantha picks up her phone and scrolls through her contacts, stopping at Connor. "Maybe Connor will know what to do."

Lance and V-mon sit in Mr. Crest's classroom. "Digital Space 'resets' itself every twenty-four hours. However, people like Cain can hack into the space itself and create a type of 'sub-space,' so to speak."

"Sub-space?" Lance turns to the window, looking into the direction of the park. "Is it like that massive building that we see from the park in Digital Space?"

"Exactly that." Mr. Crest looks outside his window. "That building you're talking about…It's Edward's lair."

"Edward's lair?!" Lance and V-mon burst out.

"Why don't we just go there and deal with Edward now?!" Lance suggests.

"Edward and Cyrus sourced too many Digimon to defend it. You've seen it yourself how Cyrus forced evolution. That's not all he's done to Digimon. He has hacked into the behaviors of Digimon by modifying their cores."

"How is that even possible?" V-mon asks. "Tyranomon's core fell apart when Cyrus tampered with it."

"Changing behavior doesn't put as much strain on the core and the core will repair itself if the damage isn't that much."

Lance nearly slams his fist against the desk. "And, what, we're supposed to wait while Edward does who knows what?"

"Connor's forming a plan to deal with Edward. That's why he hasn't been answering his messages."

Lance looks to V-mon and back to Mr. Crest. "He could've let us know, we can help!"

"I think he wants to do this alone as some kind of redemption. Anyways…" Mr. Crest stands up from his chair. "It's about class time."

"Is everything okay?" Connor inquires. "It sounds like Daniel is still bothering you."

"He's still finding a way to contact me!" Samantha snaps. "I've blocked him on social media, INCLUDING new accounts he might make, he still somehow finds me on there. I've blocked his number several times, but his texts still get through. I've even changed numbers and he STILL finds me! I don't get it!"

"It's been a couple years since you two worked together," Connor points out.

"Yeah! I was only eighteen at the time. The guy is married and thirty-four now!"

"Definitely creepy."

"Could this be the work of a Digimon?" Wormmon ponders.

"It could be. Here." Connor extends his hand. "Let me borrow your phone for a second." Samantha unlocks it and hands it over. Connor opens up a social media app and starts scrolling through it. "This is going slower than normal."

"What do you think?" Floramon asks Connor.

"Let's take this somewhere. I have an idea."

Samantha and Floramon look around the small room. "Where are we?"

"Lance and I dealt with someone trafficking Digimon here the other day." Connor brings Samantha's phone to the computer and connects a cable to it.

Wormmon jumps onto a chair. "Espimon has been monitoring this place since then and there have been no signs of him returning."

"I used his equipment to free a FunBeemon from Lance's classmate's phone." Connor types away at the keyboard. "I'm just seeing if a Digimon is hiding somewhere in yours. And…there!" A slug-like figure glows as it emerges from Samantha's phone.

Fully emerging, the slug Digimon turns green with two eyeballs at the top of the stocks. It smiles with its massive, weirdly human-like teeth. "How did you figure me out?!"

"It's a Numemon!" Wormmon jumps off the chair.

"Numemon?" Samantha pulls out her Digivice.

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: Numemon

Level: Adult

Attribute: Virus

Technique: Unchi Nage

"He must be transferring Daniel's messages to get around the blocks!" Floramon deduces.

"Time to scram!" Numemon reaches behind him and throws a smelly, pink substance at Wormmon before fleeing.

Wormmon dodges the nasty projectile. "That's gross!"

Connor scoops up Wormmon and chases Numemon out the door. "After him!" Samantha and Floramon follow suit. Chasing Numemon on to the sidewalk, Connor transports all of them into Digital Space. "He's fast for a slug!"

"You won't catch me!"

"Don't bet on it!" Connor picks up his pace.

"Take this!" Numemon throws another pink projectile at Connor. Connor evades the attack.

"Nice try!"

"Nebaneba Net!" Wormmon spews his web at Numemon, capturing him.

"Hey, what's the big idea, huh?!" Numemon tries to break free from Wormmon's net.

"You're going to tell us where Daniel is," Connor demands.

"Yeah, or what?"

"Or this," Floramon joins in. "Allergy Shower!"

Pollen begins to shower Numemon from Floramon's flower-like hands. Moments later, "ACHOO! AAAAACHOO! AAAAAACHOO! Okay okay! ACHOO! I'll talk! ACHOO!" Floramon stops her attack. "Right now, he should be almost done with his shift."

Connor kneels down next to Numemon. "Same place as Samantha when they worked together?"

"The very same! I told you what I know! Let me go!"

"Oh no, you're not getting off that easy." Connor picks up the net with Numemon inside. "You're coming with us." He slings Numemon over his shoulder. "Samantha, lead the way."

"Right."

"That thing is Edward's base?!" Ezra blurts out.

"It's so close!" Aster exclaims. "We could go there right now!"

Shelby folds her arms. "That sounds dangerous. We have no idea what kind of dangers are over there."

"The only one who would know is Connor." Lauren exhales hard through her nose. "And he's made it clear he wants to go at it alone."

"We can take them on!" Patamon jumps in.

Jellymon floats around Shelby's head. "We were able to handle the Mechanorimons from Cain's warehouse! We can handle whatever is over there!"

"I'm not too sure about that…" Herissmon mumbles. "I still can't…"

"We should come up with a strategy," Renamon encourages. "That way, when Connor decides to take on Edward, we can meet with him and help out."

"Yeah, while you guys go in to help Connor, what am I to do?!" Ezra kicks the ground. "Herissmon still can't evolve! I'm being left on the sidelines while you all are doing the part that matters!"

"Wait just a minute!" Shelby starts. "If you just be patient-"

"I've been patient! We've been partners for longer than you all have been and he still can't evolve! What gives?! He's useless!" Herissmon begins to tear up.

"Hey! That's not cool!" Lance steps in.

"How do you expect anything to happen if that's how you're going to act?!" V-mon tells off Ezra.

"Whatever." Ezra turns around and storms off.

"Ah! Wait for me!" Herissmon runs after him.

Lauren sighs. "It's gotten worse." Everyone turns to her. "Ever since Devimon touched him, his attitude towards Herissmon has been worse and I don't know what to do anymore."

"That's been bothering me," Shelby chimes in. "Devimon called him the 'final conduit.' A conduit for what? And there's more apparently?"

"Now that you mention it…" Lance starts. "I've talked to some of the people that knew Aiden. Apparently she's changed drastically ever since the Digimon rumor started to spread."

"Something suspicious is going on," Lauren concludes, "and it's much bigger than Edward and Cyrus."

Shelby balls her hand on her chin. "The increased Digital Waves in our world…could it be related?"

"Now that you mention it," Jellymon floats the center of the group, "before I got swept here by a Digital Wave, they weren't as frequent in the Digital World until about two years ago."

Lance gasps. "Two years ago! That's when Connor and Wormmon became partners!"

"Wait, didn't Wormmon say there wasn't a massive influx of Digital Waves until recently?" Aster points out.

"There could still have been an abnormal amount of Digital Waves two years ago," Shelby counters.

Patamon joins Jellymon in the center. "And the Digital Waves never carried Digimon with them like they do now!"

"The border to the Digital World." Lance folds his arms. "Something happened two years ago that started to decay the border."

"And Edward and Cyrus are somehow involved?" V-mon questions.

"Maybe…" Lance turns to V-mon. "As Lauren said, 'The only one that knows is Connor.'"

A man walks up to a colleague and asks them, "Did you hear about the skeleton spelling bee?"

"No, I did not, Daniel," his coworker grins.

Daniel gets closer to his coworker. "No body won."

"Wait, what do you…" the colleague ponders. "OOOOOH! Get out!"

"Byyyyye!" Daniel exits through the doors and walks into the parking lot. He pulls out his phone, scrolls to Samantha, and writes a message: 'Hey. We should do something some time. You available tomorrow?'

"There he is," a woman's voice declares. Daniel turns and sees Samantha and Connor.

"Hey Samantha! I just texted you!"

"Stop texting her," Connor demands.

"Who are you?"

"What's it to you?"

"Whoever you are, mind your own business!"

Connor slowly approaches Daniel. "I'm afraid I can't do that." Taking the net off of his shoulder, he throws Numemon at Daniel.

"I'm sorry, Daniel!" Numemon cries.

"What did you do to him?!"

"Nothing compared to what I'm about to do to you." Pulling out his Digivice, he transports all of them to Digital Space.

Daniel scurries in the opposite direction. "You won't get me!"

"Nebaneba Net!" Wormmon spews another net at Daniel, causing him to trip and fall. A Digivice falls out of his pocket.

Connor kneels beside him, grabs him by the collar, and pins him to the ground. "You're going to stop texting her and leave her alone! If you don't, I will find you again. Do I make myself clear?" No response. Connor lets go and stands back up. "Let's go." Connor walks by Samantha and Floramon.

Floramon turns around. "Is it okay to just leave him?"

"He'll be fine. Wormmon's net will disintegrate after a couple of hours." Samantha and Floramon begin to follow Connor.

Daniel's Digivice glows with a green, multi-lined sigil on the screen."...Why?" Daniel starts. "WHY WON'T YOU ACCEPT ME?! I'VE BEEN NOTHING BUT NICE TO YOU!"

"Look," Connor groans and turns around, "just because you…what the-?!" Samantha and Floramon both turn around as well. Free from Wormmon's net, Daniel stands up with a black silhouette of a woman behind him. She seductively glides her hand across Daniel's chest. The ground beneath them emanates the same sigil, surrounding the two. "What's going on?" They turn to Numemon, whose eyes are glowing red and emanating a black mist from his body.

"GRRRRRAAAAAAAAAH!" Numemon's body turns completely black as it turns more humanoid.

"Numemon is evolving…" Connor stares. The Digimon breaks Wormmon's net as it finishes evolving, looking like a masked, humanoid plant. It raises its hatchet with its arm made of vines, ready to strike. It peers through its mask with its red eyes at Connor. "Wormmon!" It leaps at Connor, striking with its hatchet. Barely evading the attack, Connor rolls out of the way.

"Connor, it's targeting us! Wormmon evolve! …Stingmon!" The Digimon leaps again. Stingmon intercepts the attack.

Connor looks at his Digivice. "Another Perfect level?"

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: Ajatarmon

Level: Perfect

Attribute: Vaccine

Technique: Assault Hatchet

Stingmon lifts off and circles around Ajatarmon. "Spiking Finish!" Stingmon lunges at Ajatarmon. As Stingmon approaches, Ajatarmon flips and jumps out of the way.

"I WAS NICE TO YOU AND YOU WON'T EVEN SPEAK TO ME!"

"I tried being nice back by telling you that I wasn't interested!" Samantha retorts. "I have a boyfriend! You're married with kids! Why would I want that?!"

"And why do you want that being almost twice her age?!" Connor adds.

"SOME WOMEN ARE INTO OLDER MEN!" Ajatarmon leaps at Connor once more.

"Connor!" Stingmon takes off and tackles Ajatarmon to the ground. "It's targeting you!"

Floramon sprints into action. "I'll help out! Floramon evovle!" Floramon's body changes to a wingless, brown bird with a white head and beak. "Kiwimon!" Kiwimon charges as Stingmon flies upwards. "Little Pecker!" Kiwimon shoots several small birds from her mouth at Ajatarmon. As Ajatarmon deflects the attacks, they explode.

The silhouette makes laughing gestures at Connor. "Is it…enjoying this?"

"I JUST NEED TO KEEP TRYING UNTIL SHE SAYS YES!"

"NO!" Connor shouts. "She gave you an answer! LEAVE HER ALONE!"

Stingmon swoops in. "Assassin's Dance!" Stingmon stashes at Ajatarmon several times with the spikes on his arms, pushing Ajatarmon back. Ajatarmon blocks them all with its hatchet until the hatchet snaps.

"Little Pecker!" As Kiwimon fires, Ajatarmon leaps backwards.

"You won't get away!" Stingmon zips towards him.

"She just needs some convincing!"

"No I don't!"

Ajatarmon whips his two vines from his back and fires several needles at Stingmon. Stingmon ascends to avoid the attack. "I can't get close!"

"Let me! Little Pecker!" Ajatarmon dodges the oncoming projectiles, just in front of Daneil.

"If I can't have you…NO ONE CAN! AJATARMON!"

Ajatarmon drops to the ground. "GRRRAAAAAH!" Ajatarmon covers his mask in agony. Daniel's Digivice displays the message: Link Disconnected.

Samantha looks on with terror. "What's happening to Ajatarmon?!"

Standing up, Ajatarmon turns to Daniel. "Hey, wait a minute…"

"Was Ajatarmon pushed too far?" Connor stares as Ajatarmon approaches Daniel.

"MrrrrrRRRRRRAAAAAAAAAAAAAH!" Ajatarmon leaps at Daniel.

"AAAAAAAAAAA!"

"Spiking Finish!" Stingmon impales Ajatarmon in the head from above, pinning him to the ground.

As Ajatarmon's data disappears, Daniel collapses to the ground. "Numemon…" he murmurs.

"It's over…" Samantha sighs in relief. The silhouette behind Daniel fades away.

"With Ajatarmon gone, it's unlikely Daniel will be able to contact you anytime soon should he ignore my warning."

"What was that, though?" Samantha ponders. "That shadow-y lady behind Daniel when Numemon evolved."

"I've been trying to figure that out, too." Connor pulls out his Digivice. "I don't have any information on my Digivice."

"It's like a Digimon that was there but not there," Wormmon proposes.

Samantha tilts her head. "Is that even possible?"

"A number of things are possible in the Digital World!" Floramon points out.

"I suppose…"

"The Digital World…" Connor mumbles. He stands up and picks up Wormmon.

"Where are you going?"

"To do some research."