Digital Monsters, Digital Adventure

Gabriel was inside the strange room, trying to find out where Datamon took the youngest of their group, as the others paced or thought or cursed.

Z was agitated, snappish, and even Gomamon had trouble reigning in her temper.

Izzy was grumbling something about scrap metal, and Rose was cuddled up with the resting Digimon.

Lily sat near her brother, trying to help him as much as she could.

Angie stared at the sky, thinking and berating herself for messing up so thoroughly.

She’d insisted they help Datamon, and look what that got them!

‘What kind of leader am I?’ She though glumly.

‘A pretty shitty one, that’s for sure…I’m such a coward…’

The darkness seemed to try and weasel its way into her heart, and she was finding fewer reasons to keep fighting it away.

A fire roared, and Izzy was trying to distract herself with keeping it lit.

Everyone soon gathered around the heat source to eat, and everyone tried thinking of a plan to get Elie back.

“What do ya thin’, Angie?”

Her head snapped up in a daze, but she shook the glaze from her eyes.

“Huh?”

“What do ya thin’ ‘bout our plan?”

“…It’s not my place to say…” She admitted.

“What are ya talkin’ ‘bout, Fearless? ‘A course it is!”

“And look at what happened because of MY plan!”

There was silence as she tried to keep her frustration inside.

She didn’t deserve their pity…

“…I just don’t think I’m fit to be a leader.”

“Bullshit!”

The sky-masked turtle jumped, looking up at her crimson-masked cousin.

“Yer the best leader we coulda asked fer! If it weren’t fer ya, we’d never ‘ave lasted this lon’!”

“Izzy…”

“I ain’t gonna let ya go on a guilt trip ‘bout a couple mistakes!”

“My mistakes are hurting the people around me, Izzy! They’re not something I can just forget!”

“I’m not askin’ ya ta ferget!”

Izzy took her friend by the shoulders, looking her square in the eyes.

“I’m askin’ ya ta stop lookin’ at the past and start lookin’ at the present.”

Crimson eyes darted, looking deep into her best friends gold pair…

“Guys! I know where Datamon took Elie!”

The conversation, the revelations, were left by the fire as they ran into the dark hallway-like room, skidding to a halt at the holographic screen.

It held a map of the pyramid, something they’d seen before, but the smile on his face showed that Gabriel had cracked a secret open.

“He’s actually a pretty cunning Digimon. He never actually LEFT the pyramid.”

“…Huh?” Rosie wondered.

“I think he only PRETENDED to take him away. They’re still in the pyramid. There’s a secret room under the pyramid that I found, and I just KNOW he’s holding them there.”

“So we’ve just got ta get back in…” Z grumbled.

“There’s only one way in…Any ideas, Fearless?”

Angie paused, looking up at the map intensely…

“…Etemon probably has the pyramid more heavily-guarded this time. We’ll need a good distraction…”

“I thin’ me an’ Gomamon can ‘andle that. Right, little man?”

“Right!”

“I’ll ‘elp ‘em out.”

“A smaller group needs to head inside…I’ll go with Gabriel. Lily, you stay as back-up for Izzy and Z. Protect Rosie.”

“You can trust me.”

“Angie…”

The sky-masked turtle turned a bit to her brown-banded cousin.

“…Just promise me ya’ll get Elie outta there.”

“…I promise on my honor, Z. Either all of us gets out, or nobody does.”

Z nodded, content with that.

If you wanted someone trustworthy to beat the crap out of someone, you’d probably turn to Z or Izzy.

But if you wanted someone protected more vigilantly, more fiercely, than a mother bear, you went to Angie.

She was a savage turtle when family was at stake, something she’d caught from her mother.

But she was a solid planner, like her father, though her most creative ideas seemed to come from her mother’s genes.

“We’ll go in the morning.” She promised.

“Let’s go rest for now…”

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“Ready, Z?”

“I was born ready. Gomamon?”

“On it! Gomamon, Digivolve to…IKKAKUMON!!”

The brown-masked, blue-eyed turtle jumped onto her partner’s back, gripping the shaggy white fur.

“Bomber Squad in position!”

“Good. Ready, Izzy.”

“Yup. Gabumon?”

“Gabumon, Digivolve to…GARURUMON!!”

Jumping onto the large wolf-Digimon’s back, she nodded.

Lily and Rose hid under a sand-colored blanket with their partners, and Angie and Gabe prepared themselves to go into the pyramid the same way they had before.

“Everybody in position?”

Collective nods…

“Go!”

The Tyrannomon and Monochromon would never know what hit them…

“Harpoon Torpedo!”

The two turtles ran low, and Gabriel noted something he felt was important…

“Angie…The last defense for the room…It’s another firewall…”

Her legs faltered beneath her, but she tried to control her racing heart as Agumon took hold of her hand.

“…We’ll cross that bridge when we get to it.”

The pyramid was being bombarded by now, and Z whooped with adrenaline.

Angie was in the shadows again as Ikkakumon began retreating from the army of Digimon…

‘Be careful guys…’

Slipping through the hologram bricks with Gabe, they tried weaving through hallways and slightly-collapsed ceilings.

They could see the Gazimon rushing around through the fake bricks, and were extra cautious.

“If we go down this stairway, we’ll be at the last firewall between us and Elie.”

“Got it.”

Something crashed through the ceiling behind them…

“Etemon!” Angie growled.

“Go find her!”

“Gabe-!”

“Tento!”

“Tentomon, Digivolve to…KABUTERIMON!!”

“GO, Angie! The safe zone should be in front of the entrance!”

“…Right.”

Taking her partner’s hand, the sky-masked turtle started running.

Jumping the steps three at a time, with Agumon struggling to keep up, she skidded to a halt in the large room at the bottom.

She froze at the massive electric fence, the old fear trickling through her veins.

“A-Agu…”

“You can do it, Angie.”

“I-I can’t…”

“You’re not a coward, Angie. I know you aren’t.”

“…Really?”

She seemed so trusting right then, and needed comfort.

“You’re the bravest person I know. I’ve heard…Being brave doesn’t mean you have no fears. It means that you face your fears.”

She nodded after a moment, stepping closer to the firewall…

‘I’m brave…I’m brave…’

A tentative hand moved, slowly inching forward…

‘I can face my fears…They can’t stop me…’

Feeling a new strength flood her, the three-fingered hand plunged through the holographic safe zone.

Her eyes widened as her crest glowed over her chest, and Agumon cheered for her.

A cry, and Kabuterimon tumbled down the steps, shielding his partner as Etemon jumped over his body.

“AGU!”

“On it! Agumon, Digivolve to…GREYMON!!”

Angie slid through the firewall, ending up in what seemed to be a lab.

Biyomon was chained to a wall on one side, and Datamon stood next to what looked like Elie…

But she stopped, eyes narrowing.

That wasn’t Elie.

The Elie she knew had this certain…light in her eyes, this joy and laughter that seemed contagious.

This WASN’T her cousin.

“ANGIE!”

She was strapped to a table under her partner, looking at her eldest cousin with wide, frightened eyes.

“ELIE!”

“The copy is finished, so I will give her the magic crest. She will become the new Elie.”

“Not if I have anything to say about it!”

The sky-masked she-turtle bolted forward, grabbing the crest and Digivice, and turned quickly before heading for the orange-masked turtle.

“I can not permit a mere child to spoil my plans for vengeance!”

The table and ground disappeared, but Angie caught hold of the pale-skinned hand before Elie followed.

“A-Angie…You came for me?”

“I promised on my honor…and my family…I’d get everybody out of this pyramid…”

Angie tried to lift her cousin up…

“I never leave anybody behind…”

“I no longer need the original.”

Datamon tried prying them apart, causing Elie to start crying.

Angie growled.

“I’m not letting go of anything. Elie, catch!”

The younger turtle caught her Digivice and crest, causing Datamon’s eyes to widen.

“Biyomon, Digivolve to…BIRDRAMON!!”

The large Digimon flew down, and Elie caught hold of her ankle along with Angie.

“Birdramon!”

She busted through the firewall, shocking Etemon, who had been on the other side.

“Elie!” Gabe shouted in relief.

“Hey, Gabe!”

“Let’s get out of here!” Angie ordered, jumping onto Greymon’s shoulder.

They busted their way out of the pyramid, and, rejoining the others, started heading away when a strange wind began pulling the evil Digimon inside.

Once they were a safe enough distance away, they watched on in confusion.

“What’s going on?” Izzy wondered as Z took the time to embrace her sister.

The pyramid disintegrated, showing a massive ball of wires and cables and pipes, with Etemon attached to it up to the waist.

He was obviously more powerful than before, with enlarged muscles and wires attached to his chest, back, and arms.

Everything around him was disintegrating, and the area was spreading.

“We’ve got to stop him.” Lily stated.

“Meteor Wing!”

“Electro Shocker!”

Both attacks seemed absorbed, and Etemon laughed at their feeble attempts.

“Dark Network!”

The attack grazed them, knocking both to the ground, and made some far-off mountains start swirling into blurs like paints down a drain.

Another struck the sphinx, doing the very same thing.

“We’ve gotta do somethin’!” Izzy growled.

Angie looked down at her glowing crest, lost in thought…

“Fearless…?”

“No.”

Closing her fingers around it so the light escaped her fingers, she ground her teeth.

“I’m not willing to give in to Etemon just yet.”

Looking up at her partner, she nodded.

“Come on, Greymon!”

She started running, and Izzy tried to call her back.

“What do ya thin’ yer doin’?!”

“Being brave!!”

The crimson-masked turtle paused, seeing the bright orange light…

“…Be careful, Fearless…”

“I’m not afraid of you, Etemon! Fight me like a man!”

“Dark Network!”

Greymon was knocked back…

“GREYMON! GREYMON, GET UP! WE CAN BEAT HIM!”

“Angie…I can feel your courage…”

The glow seemed to be building on Greymon’s skin…

“I’m not leaving you!”

Her Digivice even glowed…

“Your courage has given me so much strength! I can Digivolve!”

“Do it, Greymon!”

“Greymon, Digivolve to…METALGREYMON!!”

“Dark Network!”

Etemon’s attack was sliced apart by the three-clawed metal hand.

“You have the power, Metalgreymon! You can beat him!”

Metalgreymon rammed him with his horn, growling.

He began glowing with her crest and Digivice, her courage so strong it was making him more powerful than usual.

“Giga Blaster!”

The explosion seemed to destroy Etemon, causing a sucking hole in space and time.

Angie cried out when the loose sand could no longer keep her grip, but was caught by her partner’s metal claw.

“Thanks!”

But soon he was lifted off his feet as well, and they were flying toward the bright light and the vortex…

She saw the frightened faces of her family, and tried to reach for them…

The light blinded her as a shout reached her ears…

“ANGIE!!!!”

She came back to her senses in the familiar trees of Central Park…