Hey there, and welcome back to the story. I am back once again with another chapter. Real life activities, lack of inspiration, and other personal issues had prevented me from getting this out sooner. But more importantly, my hard drive had broke down due to impact damage. All the data I had on it sadly could not be salvaged. Luckily, though, the use of cloud storage had allowed me to regain everything that I had lost, but the repair had put a very big dent in my wallet as a result, which now further delays any future plans for my personal goals. Well, hopefully this doesn't happen again.
Let's recap, shall we? Volcdramon was ready to defend the entrance to the rebel hideout in Magma Plains. He had held his own against Megadramon, the commander of the D-Brigade forces in the region, but he wouldn't last for very long against his sheer might. Meanwhile, Nepgear and Hagurumon, unable to stand by and leave without everyone, decide to aid Volcdramon and escape. But when things were getting worse, Flamedramon jumped in and got everyone back to the safety of the cave before sealing it off, preventing the D-Brigade from following. He would then be captured, leaving Nepgear, Hagurumon, and the rebel Digimon forces to try and come up with a plan to rescue him and the town of Magma Plains. Then, out of nowhere, Uni and BlackTerriermon appear. Just where did they come from? And more importantly, can they help the others take back the land of Magma Plains?
Let's find out!
Disclaimer: I do not own Digimon or the Hyperdimension Neptunia series. Both franchises belong to their respective companies.
Chapter 39: Fires Of Liberation, Part 1
"We've spotted something in the distance! It's coming this way!", FlameWizardmon shouted.
Everyone tensed up as they heard the news. Nepgear and Hagurumon nodded to each other as they rushed over to see what was coming towards the camp. To them, it seemed to be a tall figure walking slowly towards their direction. It was hard to see in the dark, so they couldn't make out who or what it was. They all feared that the D-Brigade may have found them once again in such a short amount of time. They barely had any rest since the last encounter with them. If they had managed to find them all again, then they would surely be doomed.
The CPU Candidate and the gear Digimon readied themselves for a fight, willing to defend the rebel Digimons no matter what. As the tall figure got closer, the pair could make out a shape. It was humanoid, but the rest was hard to see. Then, as the unknown figure neared the light of the camp, their faces of unease changed to that of surprise and amazement. Entering the light, the figure revealed itself to be a humanoid girl with black hair with short twin tails, and a black and grey dress and shoes. On top of her head was a black rabbit-like creature with very long ears and a single tiny horn on his head. Both Nepgear and Hagurumon could not believe their eyes.
"Uni?! BlackTerriermon?!", the lilac haired girl asked.
"Is that you?!", the gear Digimon inquired.
"Nepgear! Hagurumon! What are you doing here?", their friend asked.
"Boy, talk about happy reunions!", the black rabbit Digimon said.
Now overcome with joy, Nepgear happily raced over to Uni, giving her a hug. This caught the raven haired Candidate off guard, causing her to blush immensely. Both Hagurumon and BlackTerriermon tilted their heads in confusion, but decided to brush it off, believing it to be a "human thing." After a few more seconds, Nepgear let go of her friend.
"I'm so glad you're alright, Uni!", she said excitedly.
"Uhh, y-yeah M-Me too...", replied the Lastation CPU.
"I didn't think I'd find you again so soon after we got separated. Where were you?", Nepgear asked.
"Hey, momentai~ We just got here, and right now, I need something to chow down on", stated BlackTerriermon.
"He's right. We haven't had anything to eat since we arrived, and we really need some rest", added Uni.
"Oh, right...", said the lilac haired girl.
Just then, FlameWizardmon walked up to them, eyeing the two newcomers cautiously.
"I take it you know these two?", he asked.
"Yes, we do. They are our allies that came with us to the Digital World", Hagurumon answered.
"I'm Uni. Nepgear is my friend. And this is my partner, BlackTerriermon", said the raven haired girl, introducing herself and her companion.
"Nice to meet you!", added the black rabbit Digimon.
FlameWizardmon squinted his eyes at both Uni and BlackTerriermon for a moment before turning his gaze at Nepgear, who was looking at him as if she was expecting him to let the pair stay with them. As much as he wanted to argue with them over how he didn't trust, in the end, he relented after they all stared at him for a few more seconds.
"Alright... they can stay for as long as they like", he sighed.
The Candidates and their Digimon partners smiled, happy that they'll be able to stay with each other. They couldn't wait to discuss what they've been doing after getting separated from one another.
After the pair were settled in, both Uni and BlackTerriermon sat next to Nepgear by a small campfire that the rebels had made. It was carefully built so that it wouldn't be spotted by any unwanted eyes. After all, if the raven haired girl and her black rabbit Digimon could find their temporary camp, there was no telling who else would. The raven haired girl and her Digimon partner couldn't help but be impressed.
"It's not the best setup, but it's functional", said FlameWizardmon.
"Thanks again for letting us stay here with you", said Uni gratefully.
"So, Uni, if I may ask, where were you when we entered the Digital World?", asked Nepgear.
"I have been pondering that question as well", added Hagurumon.
"I don't know how we got split up either", explained Uni. "One minute we were all entering the portal to the Digital World, and the next thing me and BlackTerriermon knew, we were in the middle of a desert."
"We actually ended up near my village. I thought we'd find any survivors there after the D-Brigade attacked it, but...", the black rabbit Digimon said before trailing off.
Both Nepgear and Hagurumon frowned, a feeling of sorrow overcoming them both. They were sad that their friends were unable to find BlackTerriermon's people. FlameWizardmon, on the other hand, was quite upset.
"Damn them! They'll stoop to any lows to get what they want!", he said angrily.
"I believe I heard of that village. If I remember right, they used to trade with our town before the D-Brigade took over", said Volcdramon.
"But that's not all", Uni continued. "The D-Brigade managed to find us. I think they were looking for that Black Digitron stuff that BlackTerriermon has."
"Black Digitron? I'm afraid I've never heard of that before", said the volcanic Digimon.
"Hmm... maybe that's the real reason why the D-Brigade have taken over Magma Plains", Nepgear thought.
"We were just about to be captured, too. But all of a sudden, this tall, dark and armored guy came along and saved us", said BlackTerriermon.
"Really? Do you know who it was?", Nepgear asked.
"No. We never got his name", the raven haired girl replied. "But whoever he was, his power was just insane. With just a single attack, he wiped out over half of the attack force sent to catch us."
Everyone were shocked to hear this. Somewhere out in the Digital World there was a being powerful enough to decimate an army if given the chance. And none of them had any idea who it was or if was either friend or foe. Needless to say, everyone was now concerned. Volcdramon, meanwhile, was intrigued.
"Hmmm... could it be...?", he thought silently.
"Before we could properly thank him, he just took off. We then decided that it was best for us to move on before any more of those D-Brigade guys showed up", said Uni.
"We high tailed it as fast as we could to find another place so that we could have a better shot at finding the others", added BlackTerriermon.
"In hindsight, though, running constantly through a scorching desert nonstop wasn't really the best idea", said the Lastation Candidate.
"And even providing shade with my ears made me feel even hotter", commented the black rabbit Digimon.
"Then again, if you made it this far, I suppose we have to thank our game mechanics over the years for helping us run for prolonged hours without stopping", said Nepgear.
"Oh great, now you're breaking the fourth wall just like your sister...", Uni deadpanned.
All the other Digimon were confused by the CPUs comments, unsure of what they were talking about. They decided to brush it off as a "human joke" that they didn't understand before the Lastation CPU continued.
"We traveled through the desert for at least two days straight when we-", said the raven haired girl before she was interrupted.
"Wait, two days? That's strange. It doesn't even feel like two days have passed", said Nepgear. "Then again, the day time didn't seem to last long either."
"Time works much differently in the Digital World. A few days here are like a few minutes in your world", Hagurumon explained.
"That's kinda what BlackTerriermon tried to explain to me. I didn't really quite get it, so I just rolled with it", Uni remarked.
"So in other words, this is one of those instances of weird wibbly-wobbly timey-wimey stuff, right?", the lilac haired girl said.
"Nepgear, I don't think the Digimon here are going to get that reference", said Uni.
"We may be starting to get a bit off topic again...", said Volcdramon, trying to get the conversation back on track.
"Right. Anyway, we made our way through the desert for two days straight without stopping", the raven haired girl said. "That's when we spotted your camp and decided to see what was going on here."
"We just didn't expect to see you here, though", said BlackTerriermon.
"Neither did we. I wonder if it's coincidence or just fate?", the Planeptune Candidate pondered aloud.
"Whatever the circumstances may be, the fact that you have reunited with one of your friends is a sign of good things to come", said Volcdramon.
"I'm still not sure on that. So far there's been more trouble than good recently", FlameWizardmon snorted.
"What do you mean?", Uni asked inquisitively.
"Oh, right. We never told you, did we?", said the Planeptune CPU.
Nepgear, Hagurumon, FlameWizardmon, and Volcdramon soon explained their situation, while both the Lastation Candidate and her Digimon partner listened on. They went from how both the lilac haired girl and the gear Digimon came to Magma Plains, to how they met the rebel Digimon, only for their hideout to be discovered by the D-Brigade. When he heard them mention the digital army's name, BlackTerriermon was quick to anger. It was bad enough that his home had been ransacked by their enemy, and now the same thing was happening to the land of Magma Plains as well.
"Those D-Brigade bullies! They just won't leave anyone alone!", he said in frustration.
"Cool it down, little guy! Momentai, right?", said Uni, trying to sooth her Digimon partner's temper.
BlackTerriermon sighed and sat back down, still unhappy about what he had heard.
"Still", continued the raven haired girl, "couldn't you have fought back against the D-Brigade?"
"We don't have the numbers or the fighters need to sustain a prolonged conflict", said Volcdramon sadly. "We had no choice but to flee. Although I stayed to hold them off, I'm afraid I was no match for their leader."
"Yeah. We managed to save Volcdramon, but we lost Flamedramon in the process. And I can't help but blame myself for it...", added Nepgear.
"What do you mean by that, Nepgear?", asked Uni.
"I got Flamedramon captured all because I went back. I should never have dragged him into that rescue attempt. It was me that the D-Brigade really wanted", said the CPU Candidate.
"Hey, you did what you could to save Volcdramon here. If you had stayed, they would've captured you all anyway", said the raven haired girl.
"But it's still my fault that Flamedramon got captured! If I had done something sooner, he'd still be here!", yelled Nepgear. "And now that he's the D-Brigade's prisoner, there's no telling when they'll find us again and finish us off..."
"Nepgear...", said Hagurumon sympathetically.
Hearing this from the Planeptune Candidate, FlameWizardmon now couldn't help but sympathize with the lilac haired girl. Flamedramon was his comrade as well, and he was partially responsible for his friend's wellbeing. Ever since he seen her he couldn't help but mistrust the CPU from another world. But after hearing what she had to say and seeing her blame herself for his comrade's absence, he actually felt sorry for her. The fire mage now felt like a jerk for misjudging the lilac haired girl. Seeing the look of guilt on her friend's face, Uni spoke up.
"Nepgear, did you ever give up when our sisters were captured by ASIC for three years?", she said.
The Planeptune CPU turned to her friend, a bit surprised by her inquiry.
"N... No", Nepgear answered.
"Did you ever once doubt you could save Gameindustri from the Deity of Sin?", the Lastation CPU asked.
"Never", said the lilac haired Candidate, becoming more confident.
"When Kurome tried to use our sisters against us, did you ever once lose hope of saving them?", Uni asked.
"Not at all!", said Nepgear boldly.
"Exactly! You never gave up, never doubted yourself, and never lost hope during those times", said the raven haired girl. "You faced tougher odds in the past and came out standing. This is no different. You'll find a way to get Flamedramon back. I know it."
Nepgear stared at her friend for a good few seconds before smiling and nodding, her confidence coming back to her. She knew that her friend was right. No matter what happened, she and her allies always found a way to overcome the the challenges that stood against them. Her face beamed with newfound determination.
"You're right, Uni. I WILL find a way to make things right. I'll help free Flamedramon and Magma Plains no matter what!", said Nepgear.
Uni smiled, seeing that her pep talk helped cheer up her friend again. Even Hagurumon, Volcdramon and BlackTerriermon smiled at the heartwarming scene.
"I could not have put it better myself", said the gear Digimon.
"Yeah! Momentai~", the black rabbit Digimon commented.
"Now all we need is a plan of attack", said FlameWizardmon.
"Plan of attack? What do you mean?", asked Nepgear.
"Since we no longer have a base to hide ourselves in, it won't be long before the D-Brigade searches the remainder of Magma Plains in order to find us", said Volcdramon.
"Our leader is right", said the fire mage Digimon. "If we ever hope to free ourselves from the D-Brigade, we may have no choice but to launch an all-out attack."
"But that's too dangerous! You'll never survive!", said Uni in utter shock.
"I must agree with Uni", stated Hagurumon. "Not only do you not have the necessary power needed to drive the D-Brigade out, they may threaten the lives of those who are still captive in the town, resulting in more unfathomable losses."
"Ol' gear-box here makes a good point. We need a new plan", BlackTerriermon commented.
"If we do nothing, then we still won't survive. I can see no other alternative...", said Volcdramon.
Nepgear placed a hand on her chin, pondering on what to do. Hagurumon noticed this and wondered what she was thinking.
"Do you have an idea, Nepgear?", he asked.
"Maybe we don't need a large group to attack the D-Brigade", said the lilac haired girl.
"What do you mean?", FlameWizardmon inquired.
Nepgear then stood up and glanced at everyone around. A plan had started taking shape in her mind, and she was going to see it through.
"We don't have a lot of time, so we'll have to make this work quickly", she said.
And so the Planeptune CPU got everyone to huddle around her, and she would begin explaining her plan for the upcoming battle for Magma Plains...
It was currently mandatory lockdown in the town. Watch towers lit up the barren buildings and pathways, while small squads of D-Brigade troops patrolled various areas, from the main streets to the corners of the city limits. From the way the D-Brigade was running things, the mining town of Magma Plains had become a prison for the Digimon who refused to submit to their authority. While many of the townsfolk were being held prisoner by the militant Digimon occupants, others were sent to work under the D-Brigade's watchful eyes.
Peeking their heads over a ridge of a hill, the CPU Candidates and their two Digimon observed the whole layout of the town. They were high enough that they were able to see most of the town. Using the scope of her rifle weapon, Uni started to mark the spots where any D-Brigade soldiers were either stationed at or patrolling in. The raven haired girl sighed as she turned to her friends.
"Getting in is going to be tough. K-Sha may have trained me a bit for sneaking into places, but we'll eventually be spotted if we don't know where to go", she said.
"Hopefully if the plan goes smoothly, we won't need to worry about getting past all of them", said Nepgear.
"Uh, I forget, what was the plan again?", BlackTerriermon asked.
"Weren't you paying attention? While we cause a distraction and draw the D-Brigade's attention, Nepgear and Hagurumon will infiltrate their headquarters, find Flamedramon, and free any prisoners held in the town", the Lastation CPU explained.
"If we can keep them distracted long enough, all while freeing the prisoners, we maybe able to fight back against the D-Brigade when the rebels arrive at dawn", added Hagurumon.
"So how can we get the D-Brigade's attention?", the black rabbit Digimon inquired.
"We'll need to hit them somewhere important. A spot they can't afford to lose. Can you see anything like that, Uni?", Nepgear asked her friend.
The raven haired Candidate started looking through the scope of her rifle again and searched the town for anything that could help them. Just then something caught her eye. There was activity at what appeared to be a mining complex. There were some D-Brigade soldiers and some worker Digimon. An idea formed in her head.
"I see some Digimon working at what looks like the mining area. They may be prisoners being forced to work", said Uni.
"Hmm... That complicates things", said the lilac haired Candidate.
"Momentai~ We'll just knock some heads, free the workers and keep the D-Brigade occupied. No biggie", said BlackTerriermon.
Uni turned to her Digimon partner with a serious expression on her face.
"Are you sure you're ready for this? I know how you feel about the D-Brigade and all, but...", said the Lastation Candidate.
"I'll be fine. I can do this", said the black rabbit Digimon.
"Alright then. Let's do this", said Uni.
She then pulled out her Digivice and aimed it at her Digimon partner. A grey light starting to glow as she called out the passcode.
"Digivolve!", she exclaimed.
A grey stream of light shot out of the Digivice and engulfed BlackTerriermon. His Digivolution sequence was beginning.
"BlackTerriermon, Digivolve to...!", he exclaimed.
Soon his body began to grow bigger, a bout a few feet taller than an adult human, and his appearance started changing. He now had black and brown fur, and his ears were bigger and longer. He was now wearing dark green cargo pants with a brown belt holding them up, and a bullet belt appeared around his torso. His hands were replaced with large metal cylinders that looked like gatling guns with small hand-like grabbers in the center. His face had two red lines on his cheeks, and a red jewel formed on his forehead.
"BlackGargomon!", he said as his Digivolution sequence finished.
"Okay, you all know the objective. Now we have a town to save. Let's go!", said Nepgear.
Everyone nodded before splitting up in two directions. While both Uni and BlackGargomon would head towards the mining area, Nepgear and Hagurumon would head to another part of the town and wait until the distraction commenced. Their plan had begun...
At the mining complex of the town, armed guards composed of Commandramons and Tankmons kept watch over the worker Digimon as they drilled, hammered, and broke away rocks and stones they had collected for processing. The stones were supposed to have minerals needed to create materials for various things, including Chrome Digizoit, an alloy which could then be turned into Chrome Digizoid. The D-Brigade were using the townsfolk to mine for such alloys. Any stones and rocks that either didn't have any resources or low quality materials were loaded into carts, which would be taken away for further processing and be used for other things.
The worker Digimon had been working tirelessly without rest day and night. It was not as if they wanted to stop, though. Under the threat of retaliation from the D-Brigade soldiers, they had no choice but to keep working, all in order to avoid having their data taken apart. One of the worker Digimon was a humanoid being with a tanned body, orange hair, green eyes, and short knobs on his head. He also had a few white markings on his chest and face, small gold rings on his ears, wore red gauntlets and pants, and around his pants was a belt with a symbol on the buckle. He was struggling to push one of the carts full of stone, but he was starting to lose strength. At last, his arms gave out as he fell over.
"Ugh... not good...", he said.
Two Commandramon guards and a Tankmon quickly approached the fallen Digimon, their weapons pointed in his direction.
"Get back to work, slacker!", ordered the artillery Digimon.
Just then, another being quickly ran towards the humanoid Digimon. He was a humanoid creature, but with a body completely covered in red and orange flames.
"Flamon, get up. We need to keep going", said the flaming Digimon.
"Meramon...", the fallen Digimon said.
Suddenly, the Tankmon guard bashed the Meramon worker away with one of his gun arms, knocking the flaming Digimon hard into the dirt.
"Just because he's down doesn't mean you can stop working, too. Now get back to work, or it's curtains for both of you", the Tankmon threatened.
Flamon soon found the strength to get himself back on his feet, panting heavily as the D-Brigade soldiers eyed him suspiciously.
"Just you wait... the rebels will save us, and when they do, you'll be sorry...", he said.
"I guess you haven't heard. Megadramon has captured Flamedramon and is now preparing him for a public execution right now", said one of the Commandramon guards.
"Yeah, and we driven your rebel friends out of their hideout. Now all that's left is to hunt them down and they'll be history", another guard said.
Flamon's eyes went wide when he heard this. He could not believe what he was hearing, nor did he want to believe it. There was no way that one of the best Digimon fighters from the rebels could lose to the D-Brigade.
"No! You're wrong! There's no way that could happen!", he exclaimed.
"Oh it did, and boy it's going to be quite the show tomorrow. You and the others get to see the execution go down", the Tankmon guard cackled.
Furious by this news, Flamon began to clench his fists in anger. He now wanted nothing more than to make the D-Brigade pay for their what they had done. Meramon saw this and was about to stop the humanoid Digimon, but he was too late as his fellow worker charged at the Tankmon guard.
"Flamon, no!", he yelled.
His words fell on deaf ears, however, as his colleague raised a fist, attempting to punch the artillery Digimon. But the Tankmon guard swatted him away with one of his gun arms, slamming Flamon hard into the ground. Both him and the Commandramon guards then aimed their weapons at the rebellious Digimon, ready to delete him at any moment.
"Bad move, kid. Now you'll get to join Flamedramon for deletion. Take him", he ordered.
The Commandramon pair nodded as they approached the humanoid Digimon, who was now staring at them in fear. As much as Flamon wanted to fight back against his aggressors, the D-Brigade soldiers were far more experienced fighters and had him outclassed in every way. There was no way he could go against these soldiers, especially on his own. But just as the two Commandramon soldiers were about to apprehend the humanoid Digimon...
KABOOOMMM! ! !
A small explosion suddenly echoed from the other side of the mining area. Everyone, both D-Brigade soldiers and workers alike, stopped what they were doing to look at what had happened. Coming out of a burning wreck of two mining carts was a large black rabbit-like creature with green baggy pants, a red jewel on his head, and gatling gun arms. Before the soldiers could react, the attacker started opening fire on them, unleashing a barrage of green pellets with his gatling arms.
"Down with the D-Brigade! Freedom for all Digimon, and all that!", he yelled.
Any military Digimon who failed to react in time were either mowed down or rendered unable to fight back. While some of the D-Brigade soldiers went to take cover and ready themselves for battle, others went to try and sound the alarm. Some even went to try and get the workers out of the area in an effort to maintain control of the situation. But with their attention divided, the worker Digimon saw this as an opportunity to fight back against the military Digimon, as the attack convinced them that the day of their liberation had finally come.
Flamon sat still as he watched what was going on. Time felt like it was standing still as the entire scene unfolded before him. A Digimon he didn't recognize was attacking the D-Brigade and freeing the Digimon who were held against their will. He wondered who this mysterious freedom fighter was. Was he part of the rebels? Or was he another enemy of the D-Brigade? His thoughts were interrupted when something grabbed his arm and pulled him up on his feet. he turned to see his friend Meramon, who had a hopeful look on his face.
"C'mon, let's go! We've got to get out of here!", he said.
But Flamon just yanked his hand away, confusing the flaming Digimon.
"Are you kidding me? This could be our chance to finally fight back!", said the humanoid Digimon.
"But we're not fighters. We don't even have the strength needed to fight back", stated Meramon.
"Maybe. But I'm not just sit around and do nothing. I've got to do something to help fight!", Flamon exclaimed.
He then ran off towards the direction of the town, leaving his comrade both stunned and amazed by his friend's bravery and foolhardiness.
"Hey, where are you going?!", Meramon exclaimed.
"To liberate our people!", his friend answered back.
Flamon then ran further in, using the confusion from the chaos for cover, before vanishing out of sight completely. The burning Digimon could only hope that his friend would stay out of harm's way.
He then looked back towards the action that was happening and wondered why this Digimon was attacking the D-Brigade. Was he here with the rebel Digimon? Had he come here to free the people of Magma Plains? Whatever the case may be, Meramon was thankful that someone was here to help quell the D-Brigade's occupation of this mining town he called home. He did wonder, though, if he would still be alive to thank this brave and powerful Digimon when all is said and done.
Meanwhile, within the town, alarms were going off everywhere, alerting that there was an attack happening nearby. D-Brigade troops were scrambling to gear up for battle. Intercoms stationed throughout the town were informing any and all nearby troops of the ongoing attack.
"Attention all fire teams, this is CP! We have a rebel attack in the mining area! Troops in the area are under fire and workers are revolting! Prepare to engage the enemy and quell any and all rioters! Repeat, all fire teams...!", the speakers would say.
Squads comprised of Commandramon and Tankmon soldiers were moving out towards the mining area, armed and ready to do battle against the rebel Digimon. One squad marched past a small dark alley way, unaware of something hidden within the shadows. A purple haired girl and a living gear creature slowly peeked their heads out from behind an old wooden crate, watching the group of military Digimon move further away.
Both Nepgear and Hagurumon had managed to infiltrate the town unseen. They had kept themselves hidden until the alarms go off, indicating that an enemy attack was in progress. When that happened, the CPU Candidate and her Digimon partner started biding their time until the coast was mostly clear. After the squad of D-Brigade troopers had gone by, the pair breathed a sigh of relief.
"Looks like Uni's distraction is working. Now's our chance to sneak our way to where the prisoners are kept and free Flamedramon", said Nepgear.
"We must take extra caution. Not all of the D-Brigade soldiers will have joined the battle", stated Hagurumon.
"Yeah. And because of the attack going on, they're going to be on full alert from now on", the lilac haired girl replied.
"According to FlameWizardmon and Volcdramon, the high value prisoners are kept in the capital building of this town, which is being used as the D-Brigade's headquarters for Magma Plains", the gear Digimon said.
"It's not going to be easy. It'll probably be heavily guarded even with an 'attack' going on", Nepgear stated.
"We must make haste. Our friends cannot keep the D-Brigade busy forever", said Hagurumon.
The Planeptune CPU nodded as she and her Digimon partner started making their way towards the direction of where the makeshift D-Brigade headquarters was located. Sneaking through alleys and hiding behind various structures, the pair tried their best to evade the patrols lurking around the buildings and roads. It was a slow progress, as they had to constantly keep an eye out for any D-Brigade soldiers that would get too close for comfort.
To make matters worse, the pair had no proper guide to aid them, so they had no idea where they were going at times. The fact that they had to stop every minute to keep from being spotted by any enemy soldiers didn't help matters either. Both the Planeptune Candidate and her Digimon partner were constantly on edge as they traversed their way through the town.
After an agonizing ten minutes of sneaking around, Nepgear and Hagurumon slipped their way into another alley just before another D-Brigade patrol passed by around the corner. Not noticing anything out of the ordinary, they passed by the hidden pair. Once the patrol was gone, the lilac haired girl sighed in exhaustion, her nerves frayed from the close call.
"At this rate, we're not going to reach the capital building in time", said Nepgear.
"I agree", Hagurumon replied. "If Uni and BlackGargomon get bogged down by the D-Brigade, there is a high probability that they will be captured themselves."
"There has to be a way to get to where we need to go quickly, but-", the CPU Candidate said before stopping abruptly.
A sudden and unfamiliar noise caught her attention. It came from within the alley they were hiding in. Something had rustled some garbage and debris just around the bend. Fearing that they were not alone, Nepgear and her Digimon partner braced themselves for a inevitable fight, thinking that a D-Brigade soldier had found them out somehow. The Candidate readied her Digivice, with Hagurumon standing in front of her, ready to defend his partner from anything that would come their way.
But to their surprise, the expected battle would not come to pass. A figure came out of hiding from a large dumpster near the bend, his arms raised in the air. He looked like a humanoid being with a tanned body, orange hair, green eyes, and short knobs on his head. There were also white markings on his chest and face, small gold rings on his ears, wearing red gauntlets and pants, and a belt with a symbol on the buckle. Judging from his posture, the pair assumed that he was not there to fight them. Nevertheless, they remained on guard, not knowing who this was or what his affiliation is.
"You're not the D-Brigade. Who are you guys?", he asked.
The pair stared at him for a few seconds before Nepgear hesitantly answered.
"I'm Nepgear. My partner Hagurumon and I were on our way to the capital building-", she said before being cut off.
"The capital building? I was on my way there too. Are you guys with the rebels? Just like that big guy in the mining district?", the humanoid Digimon asked, his eyes sparkling with hope.
The Candidate and her Digimon glanced at one another. He was clearly referring to BlackGargomon causing a riot in the mining area to distract the D-Brigade. They were unsure whether or not to tell him what they were doing, but the hopeful look in his eyes told them that maybe he could be trusted. It was a couple of seconds before they replied.
"Yes, we are. We're here to free Flamedramon. We believe he's being held at the capital building", said Hagurumon.
"I knew it! You're here to save us all", the humanoid Digimon said excitedly.
"Shh!", hushed Nepgear, not wanting to draw attention to their location.
Nodding silently, the humanoid Digimon motioned the pair over to deeper in the alley, not wanting to be overheard by any nearby patrols that may pass by their position. They went behind the dumpster that their mysterious ally was hiding before he continued.
"My name is Flamon. I was made to work in the mining district when some Digimon with big guns for arms started causing a ruckus", he said.
"You mean BlackGargomon? He's with us. Him and my friend Uni are creating a distraction for us to save Flamedramon", Nepgear stated.
"So you're not here to save us all?", said Flamon, a look of disappointment forming on his face.
"We plan on saving the entire town, but we're also waiting for the other rebel Digimon to arrive. Right now it is just us", the gear Digimon answered.
"I see", said the humanoid Digimon. "Well you're not going to get to the capital building like this. Even with a riot, the area around it is too heavily guarded."
"So what can we do? Uni and BlackGargomon won't be able to keep the D-Brigade busy forever", the lilac haired girl commented.
Flamon placed a hand on his chin for a moment, thinking of a way to help his new allies out. Then an idea formed in his head.
"I may have an idea. But you'll have to be quick, too. You with me on this?", he asked.
Nepgear and Hagurumon, not knowing what else to do, nodded in agreement. And so Flamon began to discuss his plan to the pair...
Back at the mining area, BlackGargomon was still fending off the D-Brigade forces as more and more soldiers arrived in force. He had been firing upon the soldier Digimon for a solid ten minutes while also trying to rescue some of the Digimon who were held captive. Those who were either too weak or inexperienced to fend for themselves ran away to someplace where they can hide and be safe, while BlackGargomon and any other Digimon made a stand to cover their breakout. As much as he appreciated their assistance, he didn't want anyone else to get hurt in their efforts to stop the D-Brigade, so he insisted that they all get away as far as possible. So they did, leaving it all to him.
Despite being numerously overwhelmed, the cyborg rabbit Digimon was managing to hold his own. Unfortunately he knew that his ammo for his gatling arms would not be able to last forever, so he would have to resort to bashing anyone that gets too close for comfort once he runs out. Luckily, however, he and Uni had worked up a strategy. During their journey through the digital desert a few days ago before reuniting with Nepgear and Hagurumon, he and his partner had talked about his Champion form and how it uses up a lot of energy via the gatling arms. In order to conserve ammunition, BlackGargomon was taught to switch between long range to close range combat every few seconds. Not only would it keep the enemy guessing, but it would keep him in action for a longer period of time. He didn't get much practice during this time, however, but his partner would be there to help him out.
While the Commandramon grunts swarmed him, the Tankmons would try to either unleash a barrage of suppressing fire with their own gun arms or bombard the cyborg rabbit Digimon with their head cannons. BlackGargomon did his best to either withstand their attacks or move away from their range of fire, but he knew he would get backed into a corner sooner or later. It was now time to commence the next step of the distraction.
"Okay, Uni! Let's get to work!", he yelled out of the blue.
From far away at a safe vantage point, Uni had heard her partner yell from the distance. She knew that was the signal to begin covering fire. Pulling out a long range rifle from her item storage, she loaded up, took aim with her weapon, and prepared to open fire on any D-Brigade soldiers that dared to get anywhere near her Digimon friend. She had made sure to shoot at their weapons, aiming to either disarm or disable their ability to fight back. Once she picked her intended target - a Commandramon who was trying to get at BlackGargomon's blind spot - she opened fire. Her bullets hit their mark, destroying the soldier Digimon's weapon.
"Crap! We've got a sniper!", he shouted.
His exclaimation would cost him dearly, as BlackGargomon turned around to face him. He smirked, as he rushed at the helpless Commandramon.
"Dum Dum Uppercut!", he yelled.
The cyborg rabbit Digimon swung his gatling arm upward into the Commandramon's jaw, delivering a heavy blow and knocking him into the air and away from the battle.
"I think I knocked that one outta the ball park!", he commented jokingly.
His momentary distraction was short lived, as he was quickly reminded by the sound of attacking Commandramon and Tankmon soldiers that he had no time to mess around. As he continued to fight whatever he could target, Uni would pick off other D-Brigade Digimon and keep them from fighting back. But now that they knew that there was a sniper around, they scrambled to try and find a hiding spot to keep from being hit. This worked in her and BlackGargomon's favor, for the less enemies they had to deal with, the better their odds.
"We can do this. We just need to hold them off for a little longer. C'mon Nepgear, get Flamedramon out of there", Uni muttered to herself.
Just as the battle was turning to the pair's favor, however, the D-Brigade soldiers started to fall back and regroup to another position. This was a surprise to both Uni and BlackGargomon. They didn't know what the soldiers were up to, but they remained on alert. Suddenly, a series of shells started raining from the sky, straight towards BlackGargomon's position. He tried to move away, but the shells caused a series of big explosions once they impacted the ground, causing the cyborg rabbit Digimon to get rocked off of his feet and crash with a thud.
"Oof! Where did that come from?", he wondered aloud.
"Pathetic! This is the rebel that's been causing damage to our forces?", said a voice.
BlackGargomon turned to see who it was. Behind the fading smoke, he could see a huge figure coming out. His body was three times bigger than that of the Commandramon grunts. His equipment ranged from a heavy vest with ammo on the back to a red helmet with a black snout and single horn on the front. He was also holding what appeared to be a grenade launcher in his left hand, which was smoking from firing off a few motor rounds. He also wielded a riot shield in his right hand, which resembled that of the D-Brigade's symbol.
BlackGargomon could tell by the look of this newcomer that he was going to be trouble. From what Nepgear and Hagurumon told both him and Uni, this was a commander of the D-Brigade soldiers in the Magma Plains. Watching from afar, Uni knew as well that things were about to get a lot harder real quick.
"This could be bad...", she thought.
Just outside the rear of the capital building, an armed squad of Commandramons and Tankmons were standing guard on all sides of the base, keeping an eye out for any trespassers that would be foolish enough to escape or sneak their way in the facility. They kept their eyes and ears open for any signs of suspicious activity. Everything seemed to be in the clear, until...
"Flame Toss!"
Suddenly, a small series of fire balls landed right in front of some of the guards, catching them by surprise. Turning to see where the attack came from, they spotted a humanoid Digimon, his hands glowing in flames. It was Flamon, and he was looking for trouble.
"Down with the D-Brigade! Flame Toss!", he shouted as he tossed more fireballs at the guards.
Angered by the act of aggression, they charged towards the humanoid Digimon, who started mocking them by making faces before running away. They went after him, while Flamon simply smirked with confidence.
"Okay... It's up to you two now", he thought.
Hiding behind a nearby building, two figures were keeping their heads down as they waited for the signal to move. The CPU Candidate of Planeptune and her Digimon partner had been waiting for a chance to sneak inside the capital building in order to save their captured comrade Flamedramon. Flamon had came up with the idea to lure away the guards at the rear of the building, which was the least secured area. This would make infiltrating the base much easier for the two.
Once Flamon had drawn away the D-Brigade guards, both Nepgear and Hagurumon made a break for the building when no one was looking and run out of their hiding spot towards the door. They had to act fast before one of the guards decides to return, otherwise their plan to rescue Flamedramon and any other prisoners would be in jeopardy. The pair were in luck, as the door to the rear was left unlocked.
"Let's go, Hagurumon", whispered Nepgear to her partner.
The gear-like Digimon nodded silently as he followed the lilac haired girl inside the building.
The inside of the capital building was a large complex, and navigation was quite difficult due to D-Brigade soldiers patrolling the halls. The pair would look everywhere they could in order to find where the D-Brigade were holding Flamedramon in captivity. Unfortunately they had no luck thus far.
A few minutes later they happened to stumble upon a large room, filled to the brim with technological equipment such as computers, monitors and other miscellaneous devices. The equipment looked like it belonged to the D-Brigade. They had turned this room into a sort of nerve center.
"Wow! Look at all of this hardware. I had no idea the D-Brigade had this much equipment", Nepgear remarked.
"This isn't the time to fawn over technological advances. Flamedramon isn't here. We must keep looking", stated Hagurumon.
But the Planeptune CPU had other ideas. She went over to one of the computers and turned its monitor on, then typing away on the keyboard and mouse. This prompted Hagurumon to question her actions, but his partner spoke up before he could voice his opinion.
"I bet they control some security cameras around here. And if we can find where they're keeping Flamedramon with these...", said Nepgear.
"Ah! Brillient idea, Nepgear!", praised the gear-like Digimon.
"Hagurumon, you keep a look out for and D-Brigade Digimon that may come by this room. I'll see where they're keeping Flamedramon on here", the lilac haired girl ordered.
"Right away!", her Digimon partner replied.
He then went back over to the doorway to keep watch, while Nepgear searched through the computer for anything related to the security feeds. She had to work fast, as it would only be a matter of time until someone stumbles upon their position and catch them. She had found nothing of relevance on the computer she was using, so she quickly moved on to the next one. The lilac haired girl would spend the next few minutes searching through the computer systems looking for something she and her Digimon partner can use to find their comrade. Though she had yet to find what they were looking for, sifting through the various terminals had yielded a few interesting results.
It turned out that the D-Brigade were interested in more than just the mineral resources in Magma Plains. A few reports in the files revealed that they were searching for something called "Black Digitron", a substance that Uni's partner Digimon had been affected by. So far, however, the D-Brigade had no luck in finding anything within the region other than resources that were just as important for their own developments. Uni and her partner Digimon did tell her a little about this rare resource, but there was little info to go on.
To the CPU Candidate, based on what she read in the file, it would stand to reason that the D-Brigade had occupied this town for the sole purpose of finding and controlling this one element. For what purpose the D-Brigade had for the Black Digitron was still unknown to her, but the existence of this report proved her hunch from earlier about the substance correct. This was definitely information that couldn't be ignored. The Planeptune Candidate thought about mentioning this to Uni and the others once their battle to liberate the town was over.
"Just what could they be planning to do with this Black Digitron? Do they intend on making some kind of weapon out of it?", Nepgear thought.
She thought more about for a few more seconds before focusing back on the terminals. As much as she wanted to figure out the mystery to the Black Digitron and what the D-Brigade wanted with it, there were other matter to attend to, such as finding where they were keeping Flamedramon. And so she resumed her search through the various computers.
Other files within the computers she searched through included requisitions for troop and supply transports, inspections of the mineral resources extracted from the mines, and prisoner transfer documents, which even included a location for the transfer of prisoners to be taken to. And judging by the date of the documents, it was made recently. Given how BlackTerriermon's people had been taken by the D-Brigade, this was very important information to Nepgear, as she thought it may be a lead on where the black rabbit Digimon's friends and family had been taken to or stationed at.
"This is interesting... It may be a longshot, but we'll take this data anyway", she said to herself.
Taking out her N-Gear, she plugged a USB cable to it and connected it with the computer she was on, then she started downloading the files of the prisoner transfer to her device. It would be a slow process, as the file was big. Suddenly, her partner Digimon perked up.
"My proximity sensors indicate that someone is coming! They will approach this room in twenty seconds!", he alerted.
"Oh no! There's hardly any place to hide here. And the data isn't finished downloading", Nepgear said panickily.
She and Hagurumon frantically searched the computer room for anything they could use to hide themselves with. Their eyes turned to a nearby storage closet. Acting quickly, they rushed into the closet, closing the door behind them as quickly and quietly as they could. Seconds later, they heard the door to the computer room open. They could hear a couple of Commandramon guards talking to each other.
"Do you really think these rebels are going to retake this town?", one of them asked.
"Not a chance. We're the D-Brigade. We're the most organized bunch of Digimon the Digital World has ever seen", the other one said.
"I know we made them run away from their secret base and all, but if they're this desperate to attack us now of all times...", Commandramon A said doubtfully.
"They won't beat us, so quit your whining", said Commandramon B.
Both Nepgear and Hagurumon were nervous. They were silently praying to the heavens and above that the D-Brigade soldiers do not find anything out of place and just move on like nothing had happened. Unfortunately, that would not be the case.
"Hey, what's up with the computers? Who turned them all on?", Commandramon B inquired.
"Maybe everyone was in such a rush when the attack happened that they forgot to turn them off?", Commandramon A replied.
"Idiots. Don't they know we got sensitive info on these things? What if someone snuck in here and decided to take a peek?", said the other D-Brigade soldier.
Now Nepgear was on edge. In the haste of her trying to find somewhere to hide she had forgotten to shut off the computers that she had went through. The two soldiers were now growing suspicious. Then her worst fears were confirmed.
"Look, on the desk. You see that?", Commandramon A pointed out.
They moved over to the computer where the CPU Candidate had been last. They had spotted the N-Gear she was using to transfer files to. Now she was in for it. The two soldiers examined the device.
"Someone's been in here recently. They were transferring data from one of our terminals", Commandramon B stated.
"Is there a spy in this base somewhere?", inquired the other soldier Digimon.
"Probably...", his comrade said before going silent.
Nepgear and Hagurumon were now sweating bullets. The two D-Brigade members were onto them, and there was no way out for them. Then they heard the dreaded footsteps of the two grunt soldiers rummaging through the whole room, trying to find any sign of a "spy" inside the area. Then when their footsteps started reaching towards the closet door, her blood ran cold. Silently pulling out her Digivice, she readied herself for an inevitable confrontation and prepared to Digivolve her partner.
"I guess this is it for us... Uni, Neptune, where are you?", she thought as she braced herself for her fate...
A small glimpse of light was starting to peak over the horizon. Dawn was nearing its approach, but the land was darkened by the flames of battle. BlackGargomon was staring down a monster of a commander. The D-Brigade had managed to bring reinforcements in the mining area, and they were being led by a Digimon who was quite different than the rest. From afar, Uni was able to take a scan of the newcomer with her Digivice and get some information on him.
"Hi-Commandramon, Champion level. Capable of leading the charge for squads of D-Brigade soldiers", she read aloud.
The raven haired girl could tell immediately that this was going to be trouble. But she knew she and her Digimon partner just had to hold out a little longer until the rebel Digimon forces arrive to take back their town. Even so, she could no longer stand by and watch her partner fight all on his own now. It was a bit early, but she felt she had to step into the field of battle and fight by her friend's side. Uni started to move from her sniping position and started rushing down towards her partner Digimon as fast as she could.
"Hang on, BlackGargomon, I'm on my way!", the Lastation CPU thought.
Meanwhile, the cyborg rabbit Digimon was in the middle of reloading his gatling arms with whatever ammunition he had left, preparing himself for a tougher fight. Hi-Commandramon smirked as he stared at the Digimon that had been causing damage to his forces.
"This can't be all that the rebels have. If they think one fighter is enough to beat us, they're sorely mistaken", he said.
"You'll find I'm full of surprises. You bullies have had your way with this town long enough. Get out of here and never come back!", yelled BlackGargomon.
"Hahaha!", the commanding Digimon laughed. "You think words will make us go away? Fat chance. All units, surround him and attack!"
The D-Brigade soldiers complied and moved in to attack. BlackGargomon stood ready, taking aim with his gatling arms. However Hi-Commandramon was prepared for this course of action. Aiming his motor launcher at the cyborg rabbit Digimon's position, he launched more grenades all around him. But when they made impact with the ground, instead of explosions they unleashed large plumes of smoke everywhere. The amount of smoke blinded BlackGargomon, preventing him from seeing the enemy forces.
"Uh oh!", he exclaimed.
Now he had to go on the defensive, as he could not predict where the D-Brigade forces would come from. Suddenly, Commandramon grunts rushed at him from all sides, firing their weapons and trying to dogpile the cyborg rabbit Digimon. While he tried to pry some of them of with one arm, he returned fire with the other. Then a couple of Tankmons started to unleash their heavy cannons at his direction, causing him to stumble a bit. But that was the least of his worries.
"Destroy Charge!", yelled a voice.
All of a sudden, Hi-Commandramon rushed through the plumes of smoke and bashed BlackGargomon with his heavy riot shield. It was a hard hit which knocked back the cyborg rabbit Digimon. He yelled in pain, not expecting the attack at all.
"This is rough! I gotta turn this around, or else-", he said, but was interrupted by another attack from Hi-Commandramon coming in for another attack.
"Too slow! Destroy Charge!", the heavily armed Digimon exclaimed.
He had hit BlackGargomon with another attack from his riot shield, knocking the cyborg rabbit Digimon on his back. The Commandramon grunts moved in to try and hold him in place, but he revved up his gatling arms and bashed them away before opening fire on them with a barrage of energy pellets. When the Tankmons started opening fire again, BlackGargomon turned his attention to them and attempted to blast away at them as well. But Hi-Commandramon was able to get in front of him and block the attack with his riot shield. Then the heavily armed Digimon unleashed his own attack, launching another explosive motor, damaging the cyborg rabbit Digimon even more when it made impact in front of him.
BlackGargomon couldn't help but be impressed by the level of coordination the D-Brigade was capable of. It was like his teamwork with Uni and the other CPUs and their Digimon. Still, he couldn't let this adversary gain the advantage over him and overwhelm him with their numbers and fire power. Hi-Commandramon aimed his motor launcher once again, and the cyborg rabbit Digimon braced himself for another attack. But just when the heavily armed Digimon was about to fire, a burst of gun fire range out, and a series of bullets hit the motor launcher, some of them penetrating the weapon and hitting the explosive ammunition loaded inside.
"Crap!", Hi-Commandramon exclaimed.
Reacting quickly, he tossed away the motor launcher and raised his riot shield in front of himself just before his weapon exploded, the force of the blast blowing him away by a couple of yards. BlackGargomon turned to see who it was that had made such an incredible shot. From what he could see in the approaching light of dawn, coming to his rescue was his partner Uni. He smiled as his partner came up to him.
"Sorry I'm late, buddy", she apologized.
"Momentai~ We got this in the bag now", said BlackGargomon.
When the dust cleared, Hi-Commandramon peered angrily at the pair. There was now a human with the cyborg rabbit Digimon. It was a different one than the human he had seen the other day. He wondered just how many humans were with the rebel Digimon in Magma Plains. To him, though, it mattered not, as humans were all the same to him. The heavily armed Digimon snarled at the pair.
"Another human here? No matter. There's only two of you here. What can you possibly do against an army?", Hi-Commandramon said.
Uni smiled. It was the type of smile that showed she had a plan in mind. She quickly glanced over to where the rising light of the Digital World's sun was located. Dawn had arrived. She then turned her attention back to her Digimon partner, who smiled back at her, before returning their gaze to the D-Brigade soldiers.
"We're not fighting alone", Uni calmly stated.
Suddenly, as if on cue, a series of fireballs started raining down from where light of dawn was, hurdling straight for the D-Brigade forces. While his fellow soldiers took cover away from the rain of fire coming down upon them, Hi-Commandramon used his riot shield to protect himself from any flames that were heading for him.
Everyone then turned their attention towards where the fireballs had came from. Charging over the hillside was a large group of Digimon. It was the rebels, looking to take back their home from the D-Brigade once and for all. Both Uni and BlackGargomon could see that leading the charge was FlameWizardmon, who had been waiting for their chance to join in the fight. Now the real fight could begin.
"We're taking this town back!", the Lastation Candidate defiantly exclaimed.
And that's we're going to leave things at for now. I had intended for this to be the final part for Nepgear's arc, but there's so much action that's going to happen that the amount of words would be too big for one chapter.
Now I know what you might be thinking here. That Uni and her partner might be stealing the spotlight a little bit here, but that is not my intention. But I will admit, when I brought them back in the previous chapter, I had no idea what I was doing or how to expand on that idea. But this is one example of the characters slowly reuniting with one another, so we'll think of Uni and her Digimon as side characters here for now, especially since they never got their Ultimate yet. But not to worry, we're about to see another one real soon.
Now here's a question: What modern day Digimon of this decade you believe would make a good reoccurring villain? I would like to think that Fumamon would make for a great reappearing villain Digimon, both design-wise and lore-wise.
Please let me know what you think in the review section, as well as your thoughts on this chapter. I will do my best to get the next one uploaded as soon as I can, cause this is where the fun begins. Until then, I will see you next time.