Episode 11: Bond

"Fun Bee, can you put down that my English assignment is due on Friday?" A girl talks into her phone.

A bee-shaped character on her phone sighs, "You got it." It pulls up the calendar. It marks the date with 'Engleesh asighnment do'.

"I love the way you misspell words," the girl giggles, "it's cute." She sets her phone down and pulls out a baking sheet. "Can you set a timer for twenty minutes?"

"How do I get out of here?" the character mumbles.

"LOOK!" A classmate shoves her phone into Lance's face. "They're real, I tell you!" Her phone has an image of Tyranomon being followed by Chrysalimon.

"Y-yeah, sure they are…" Lance tries to not let on the existence of Digimon to his classmate. "Whatever you say."

"You believe that they're real, right?"

"Didn't we have this discussion before?" another one of Lance's classmates chimes in. "We told you, they're just AI generated images."

"But look!" The hyperactive girl turns her phone to the other classmate. "There's different photos by different people! AI generation has different results for everyone."

Becoming annoyed, Lance presses his hand against his forehead. "Can we drop it?"

"No! There's something going on!" the girl nearly shouts as another girl walks in. "Digimon aren't just AI generated images!"

The girl catches the conversation. "Actually, that's true." Their heads sharply turn to her. "And I can prove it!" She pulls out her phone and unlocks it to a bee-like character on the screen.

"What is that?"

"This is Fun Bee! She's a Digimon, an AI assistant."

The hyperactive classmate nearly yanks the phone out of her hands. "Where did you get this, Emily?!"

"Someone I met online sold it to me," She smiles. "The images that have been floating around online have been part of an online advertisement campaign for these guys."

"I see, they were just using AI as a marketing gimmick. Clever."

'A Digimon…on the phone?' Lance takes the phone and stares at the screen. "There must be…a mistake…" Fun Bee writes a message on the screen: Help me. It disappears before it could be noticed by anyone else. Horrified at the message, Lance hands Emily back her phone and darts out of the classroom.

"What was that about?"

"Won't he miss class?"

"A Digimon on a phone?" Mr. Crest inquires just outside his classroom.

"Emily said it was an AI assistant. But when I held the phone, it wrote out, 'Help me,' before I handed the phone back to her."

"Fun Bee… Wait a minute." Mr. Crest pulls out his Digivice and presses a few buttons. "Is this what you saw on her phone?"

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: FunBeemon

Level: Child

Attribute: Virus

Technique: Gear Stinger

"That's exactly it!"

"See if you can't get her to swing by here after class. We'll try to get FunBeemon to the Sanctuary."

"Okay!" Before Lance can run off, the bell rings.

"I'm late…"

"Here, let me write you a pass and a note."

Emily approaches the school exit. "Emily! Wait!" She turns around to find Lance sprinting towards her.

"Lance? What's up?"

Panting, Lance takes a moment to catch his breath. "Digimon aren't AI assistants!"

"Huh?"

"Unlock your phone for a second." Emily takes out her phone and unlocks it. "FunBeemon! Tell us about the Digital World!"

"Digital World?"

FunBeemon gasps. "You know about the Digital World?! I was part of a massive colony. I was working on gathering supplies for the nest when all of a sudden a storm swept me up. Next thing I know, I'm on this weird device."

"A colony?" Emily tilts her head in curiosity. "Meaning there's more of you?"

"Certainly!"

"Wait, this is just all part of the programming! Cain told me some things about the Digital World. And what's with the 'mon' at the end of her name? Her name is Fun Bee!" FunBeemon's eyes droop in disappointment.

"Emily, we need to get FunBeemon off of your phone. She doesn't belong on there. I'll prove it to you. Just come with me to Mr. Crest's classroom." Emily rolls her eyes and follows Lance.

"W-what the?" Emily stares at V-mon.

"Lance, is this okay? This is the first time a human has seen me without a disguise."

"It's quite alright, V-mon."

"Oh! That must mean you must be partnered with someone! Who's your partner?!"

"Partner…?" Avoiding eye contact with V-mon, Emily's eyes shift to Lance then to her phone. She unlocks her phone and stares at FunBeemon. "There was no advertising campaign, was there?"

"It seems you've been duped," Mr. Crest points out.

"My friends can help fix this, Emily."

"Fascinating!" Lauren examines Emily's phone. "I didn't think phones could hold Digimon."

Aster looks at FunBeemon over Lauren's shoulder. "I mean, I suppose it makes sense. Digimon IS short for Digital Monster and phones are digital devices."

Patamon lands on Aster's shoulder. "How strange."

"It reminds me how I found you, Jellymon."

"I was trapped inside that computer for days!" Jellymon squirms on Shelby's head.

Renamon looks over Lauren's other shoulder. "But FunBeemon was forcibly placed inside rather than accidentally caught in a Digital Wave reader."

"Who would do such a thing?!" Herissmon spouts.

"Are you able to get her out?" Emily presses her hands together in worry.

"Maybe if we take the phone to Digital Space, FunBeemon will be able to come out on her own," Shelby suggests. "Just like how I overloaded the system and Jellymon was able to escape."

Lance pulls out his Digivice. "Let's try it." He hits the button and everyone except for Emily disappears.

"Where did they…?"

A moment later, they return. "That was helpful," Ezra snarks.

"Had to give it a try," Lauren shrugs.

"Lauren, you said someone named Cain sold you FunBeemon?" Lance inquires. "Can you take us to him?"

"I can! It's in my maps! Fun-!" Realizing what she was about to do, she stumbles on her words and looks at FunBeemon. "I'm sorry… It was out of habit…" She opens up her maps and her saved locations. "It's actually not too far away from here."

"Let's go!" Lance and V-mon rally together.

Scanning a small room full of computer equipment, they see no sign of Cain. "This is the right address," Emily confirms, "but he's not here."

"Suspicious," Shelby points out. "The space is really clean and tidy. It practically screams, 'Nothing to see here.'"

Jellymon comes off of Shelby's head and extends her body out of her head. "Maybe going into Digital Space will do something?"

"We already tried going into Digital Space and it didn't work," Ezra reminds her.

Renamon strides to the center of the room. "We might find something there that isn't present here."

"It's worth a shot." Lance pulls out his Digivice.

"We'll be back as soon as we find something," Lauren reassures Emily.

"Good luck!" Emily nods.

Lance presses the button and they're transported to Digital Space, leaving Emily behind. The small room turns into a massive warehouse. "What the-?"

"We weren't just transported to Digital Space," Shelby starts, "The whole interior is different." Several long armed, mechanical Digimon surrounded them. Shelby pulls out her Digivice to identify them. "Mechanorimon."

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: Mechanorimon

Level: Adult

Attribute: Virus

Technique: Twinkle Beam

Speakers in the warehouse turn on. "Who intrudes in on my humble business?"

"Humble business?!" Jellymon blurts out. "You captured a Digimon and sold it to a friend!"

"Oooo! A feisty little Digimon! You'll be an excellent addition to my collection with the rest of you. Mechanorimon, seize them." The speakers turn off as the Mechanorimons turn to them.

Jellymon grunts. "I'm not something for someone to 'collect.' Jellymon evolve!…TeslaJellymon!" TeslaJellymon electrifies her body. "Vorsprite!" TeslaJellymon rams into one of the Mechanorimons and opens a path deeper into the warehouse.

"Go on ahead!" Shelby tells everyone. "TeslaJellymon and I can take of them!"

Lance nods. "Let's find Cain!" The rest of them start running further in until they're surrounded by more Mechanorimons.

"Lightning Fur!" Herissmon fires his quills at one of them. It short circuits and falls forwards.

"Finally, you did something," Ezra remarks. One gets behind him as its red centerpiece begins to glow.

Renamon gasps. "Look out!" She tackles them out of the way as the Mechanorimon fires a beam at them.

"Good job, Renamon!" Lauren cheers as more surround them.

"Not good… Renamon evolve! …Kyubimon!" Pouncing on one of them, Kyubimon knocks it to the ground. "Onibidama!" Kyubimon fires several fireballs from her tails at the Mechanorimon hoard.

"Lance, Aster, go find Cain without us" Lauren suggests. "We'll keep them occupied."

"Let's go, Aster!" Lance continues with him. As they run further into the warehouse, more Mechanorimon fly in pursuit.

Patamon looks up and notices them. "Here they come! Patamon evolve! …Angemon!" Angemon ascends to their level. "Heaven's Knuckle!" Angemon releases energy from his fist and defeats two Mechanorimons.

"It looks like this is where we part ways, Lance. Find the jerkwad!"

"Do you think they'll be alright in there?"

"They have their partners, they'll be okay!"

"What's the Digital World like?"

"Sorry to interrupt, but was Lance and his friends here?" a man asks with a worm-like Digimon on his shoulder.

"Who are you?"

Lance nods and continues onward. After a few minutes of running, Lance and V-mon find a man behind a desk accompanied by a floating Digimon with a golden scythe, its eyes being the only facial feature noticeable underneath the red hood. "So, here you are," the man observes. Lance pulls out his Digivice as it displays the information of the mysterious Digimon.

=Digital Analyzer=

Name: Fantomon

Level: Perfect

Attribute: Virus

Technique: Soul Chopper

"Perfect level?" Lance turns his attention to the man. "You must be Cain."

"What of it?"

"You sold FunBeemon to Emily as a 'personal assistant.' You must know how to get her off of Emily's phone."

"Emily? Oh! Her!" Cain laughs. "I remember now! She wanted a cute assistant to keep track of everything. I was just helping someone in need!"

"We aren't just assistants to do anyone's bidding!" V-mon snaps.

Lance's eyes tense up. "V-mon." V-mon nods.

"Hold on a minute!" Cain interrupts. Lance and V-mon are taken aback. "So, let me get this straight: You're going to barge in here because your friend made a conscious decision to buy a Digimon from me under the guise of, 'Digimon aren't slaves!' and then immediately signal to your Digimon to attack? Hypocrite."

"What?" Lance looks to V-mon and back at Cain. "V-mon and I are friends!"

"Oh yeah, sure. I believe you. Yup."

Lance grits his teeth. "We've taken time to get to know each other!" Cain presses his hand against his head. "We talk about our feelings and what we want to see! Just the other day, we were at the amusement park!" Visibly frustrated, Cain scrunches his eyes shut. "Talk to your Digimon and you'll see-!"

"CUT THE CRAP!" Cain yells, startling both Lance and V-mon. "You're running around playing superhero with a Digimon! What have you done while your Digimon fight invading Digimon? Nothing! You sit on the side line while your yes-man partner does all the heavy lifting! He's a tool to you! Tell me, why do you get to act high and mighty? What's the difference between you, running around the city, using your Digimon to fight other Digimon you deem a threat and me offering Digimon to better peoples' lives? We're both using them as tools, are we not?"

V-mon looks up at Lance. "Lance?"

Lance's head is spinning with thoughts. 'V-mon…is a tool? Is that it?"

"No, we're not the same," a familiar voice interjects. Lance snaps out of it as Stingmon bursts in.

"Spiking Finish!" Stingmon lunges at Fantomon, who blocks the attack with its scythe.

Lance gasps as a figure comes from behind him. "Connor!"

"It's our bonds that separate us apart," Connor continues. "Our Digimon partners are mirror images of our hearts. That's what gives them the strength to fight. V-mon's power comes from their friendship. In other words, it's how humans treat their Digimon partners. You see them as strictly a profit margin and that'll end up being your downfall."

"What a load of…" Cain starts. "Fantomon!"

Fantomon pushes Stingmon off of him. "Soul Chopper!" Fantomon swings at Stingmon as he pulls away.

"Let's do this together, Lance."

"Let's show him the strength of our bond!"

"Yeah! Let's do it, V-mon!"

"V-mon evolve! …V-Dramon!"

"Both of you…are insane!" Cain snarls.

"V-Breath Arrow!" V-Dramon fires at Fantomon.

Fantomon dodges the attack and closes the distance between them. "Soul Chopper!"

"Magnum Punch!" V-Dramon punches Fantomon through the wall.

"Fantomon!" Cain stares at Lance in disdain.

"Tell us how to get FunBeemon off of her phone!" Lance demands.

"Or else!" V-Dramon adds.

Cain's eye twitches. "Fantomon!" Fantomon swoops in and grabs Cain, making their escape.

"Wait!" Lance starts chasing. Connor stops him.

"It's not worth it. Let's just focus on FunBeemon."

"Almost got it." Connor clacks away at a keyboard in the small room, with the computer connected to Emily's phone.

"Is he able to get FunBeemon off of my phone?" Emily asks Wormmon.

"Of course he is!" Wormmon assures her. "He's hacked through worse."

"And done!" Connor hits the last key and Emily's phone begins to glow. From it emerges a bee-like, glowing figure. After fully emerging, it forms FunBeemon.

"She's out!" V-mon exclaims.

"I'll take her to the Sanctuary for now. The rest of you should get home."

"Thank you for everything!" FunBeemon cries out. The three of them approach the door.

"Wait!" Lance stops them. "What have you been up to? You haven't been answering any of my calls or messages. What's going on? Is everything okay?"

Connor turns around. "It's my responsibility, not yours. I don't want to burden you all with it." Connor leaves with Wormmon and FunBeemon.

"Thanks for your help!" Emily exits the room.

"What does he mean, 'his responsibility'?" V-mon ponders.

"You could at least keep us in the loop…" Lance mummers.