Chapter 28: Shattered Life

Irene

Braig’s Lab

 

“No…oh, Goddess, no! What have I done?!” I dropped my bow and ran over to SlashAngemon. “SlashAngemon! Please…please don’t die!”

“Irene…do not concern yourself with me…” SlashAngemon, though he was gasping for air, was smiling. “I would never…hate you…I love you…you’re like a daughter…to me…and you…deserve all the happiness…in the world…” SlashAngemon breathed one last time, and then lay silent on his back, silent and lifeless. His data flew away, one small piece at a time. I became once again enveloped in a bright light, turning back into my original form.

“What have I done…?” I fell to my knees and screamed. What have I done?! I just murdered the closest person I ever had to family! Oh, Goddess, what’s wrong with me?! I ran out of the room, ran as fast as I could away from the room until I bumped into somebody and fell to the ground.

“I thought I heard somebody scream; are you alright, Irene?” I looked up, and through my tears, I saw Abigail. “…You did your job, didn’t you...” I nodded slowly, picking myself up off the ground. “Poor thing; that was too big of an assignment for you…” Abigail began wiping the tears off my face. “I’ll have to speak to the master about this; you’re far too gentle to be doing such horrid things…” Abigail continued to wipe away my tears, and as she did so, I flung my arms around her waist and cried uncontrollably. “There, there, sweet child…it’s all over now. You’re one step closer to achieving your desired goal…finding your dear mother…” I continued sobbing onto the front of Abigail’s shirt. My face was pressed up against her soft and comfortingly warm belly. “Please, don’t cry, sweet Irene…our dear little BioAquarimon…”

“What…should I do…? I can’t…go back to them…not after what I’ve done…”

“Don’t worry, dear; Auntie Abigail will take care of everything. Everything will be fine…”

Braig

A Valencian Prison

6 Hours

 

“What brings you here today, Sir Braig?” a prison warden asked me, beaming with pride, most likely due to the fact that I, a high-ranking knight, albeit a scientist, had chosen to visit his military prison among the many that stood throughout Yew. Whatever the reason, I didn’t care. All I was interested in was finding a new…guinea pig. And this prison, specifically made for military deserters and traitors, was the perfect place to find one.

“Oh, nothing special…I just have need of a prisoner for…a special experiment,” I looked through the list of prisoners and their information the warden gave me.

“A special experiment, eh? Well, who’s the lucky bastard, then?” the warden asked.

“I haven’t quite decided yet…” We were passing through cell after cell, each filled with prisoners who glared spitefully as we passed. Each and every one of them had been a knight at one point in their lives. “The one that’s all alone here…Clive…why is he alone?”

“He was sentenced for life without parole for serial rape and murder,” the warden said. “His main MO was rape, but all he said about the murders was ‘accidents happen.’ He was secluded from the other prisoners for their own protection, sir, as well as his own. Other prisoners have been known to attack sentenced rapists like him.”

“Take me to see him,” I said. “I believe I’ve found what I’m looking for…” the warden led me down a hallway and through a door into a room containing a single cell, with but a single man inside. Clive smiled at as we walked in; an eerie smile, one much creepier than my own; one so eerie, it sent chills down even my spine.

“Good day, gentlemen…what can I do for you today?” Clive asked.

“Knight Errant Clive Howell…serial number 12384…wanted for the rape of countless innocent women…shall I go down the list of your…special playmates?” I read aloud Clive’s profile, and began reading aloud the incredibly long list of the names of his victims. “…Amelia Fox…Victoria Kasuto…Amy Crown…”

“Is there a point to your visit, sir?” Clive asked.

“You’re being released,” I said. “Well, not quite…released from this prison, but you will be taken into my custody.”

“…Whatever you say, Chief,” Clive grinned at me as he was let out of his prison cell by the warden.

Braig’s Lab

1 Hour

 

“May I ask why I have been let out of prison, sir?” Clive asked.

“Sure; you’ve been chosen as another test subject for one of my experiments,” I replied.

“…What kind of experiments?” Clive asked. I turned around to face the taller man.

“Well…If all goes well, you’ll have the ability to turn into a Digimon! Isn’t that exciting?!”

“A…Digimon?” Clive gave me an odd look. “That’s…not possible, is it?!”

“Oh, it most certainly is; I’ve already had six successes, although one ran away from me quite some time ago, and one is still recuperating. I just fixed him up a few days ago, so he’ll still need a few days to rest.” I led Clive into a room in the back. It was a large and empty room, save for the bed in the middle of it surrounded by large stasis tubes.

“And…if all doesn’t go well?” Clive asked.

“I’ve only had two failures so far,” I admitted. “They were both trapped in their Digimon forms, unable to return to their Human forms like my successes. Worst case scenario is your death, but if you died…” I fastened the straps on the bed around Clive’s arms, legs, and torso. “Well, who would miss a rapist like you, eh?”

“Wait! I could die from this?!” Clive asked.

“It’s possible; likely even, but you needn’t worry,” I said. “I’ll be careful; real careful. My boss needs as many able-bodied pawns as she can get.”

“No, wait! I don’t want to do this! I don’t want to die!” Clive began struggling in the restraints, to no avail.

“You don’t have a say in the matter, Mr. Howell,” I held a syringe up against his arm. “The Digimon you become is also random; not sure how it’s decided. Anyway, the Digimon my subjects turn into might have to do with the subject’s personality. I’ll have to look into that one of these days…”

“NO! I DON’T WANT TO DIE!!!”

“Too late, rapist.” As I inched the syringe closer and closer to the vein in Clive’s arm, the entire thing became encased in ice. “What the hell? What just happened?!”

“I’m afraid I can’t let you kill this man.”

“Who’s there?! Who said that?!” I looked over at Clive, who was grinning at me. “What did you do?!”

“Oh, let’s just say I sold my soul to the devil.” The restraints on Clive also became encased in ice, and he snapped them off easily. “I met him when I was first locked away in that dingy cell…”

“What’s going on?!” The entire room was slowly and gradually becoming encased in ice.

“Oh, you don’t need to worry about that,” Clive said. “Very soon…it will all be over for you.”

“Wh—” Before I could speak, I, too, became trapped in ice.

“Thanks so much for freeing me, sir,” Clive began walking out of the room. “I promise, I’ll make your death a swift and painless one.” I tried to talk, but my entire body was trapped in the ice. It all happened so quickly, that I didn’t have time to notice the chill the ice brought, my inability to breathe, my own panic. Clive snapped his fingers, and instantly, the ice shattered, and with it, my body.

Clive Howell

 

“There, that wasn’t so bad, was it?” I looked down at the shards of ice and man on the floor, amazed by the lack of blood. I then looked down at my shadow. “Thanks, Satan.”

“I told you not to call me that, asshole! Would Satan freeze people to death?! No! He’d fucking burn them!”

“Regardless, I appreciate the help. Now, how do I get out of here…?” I began wandering aimlessly around the laboratory until I somehow managed to find my way out some ten minutes later.

“Just to be safe, I’ll freeze over the entire place, to make sure they don’t take you back. I can’t have my vessel dying on me, after all.”

“You do that…” I turned my back on the laboratory as my shadow encased the entire building in ice.

“It will be impossible to melt this ice, even with a fire attack from the strongest Digimon!”

“Fascinating…now, where should I go…?”

“Hey, you!” A man taller than me carrying a large poleaxe walked up to me. “Did you just ice over our entire base of operations?!”

“No, my shadow did,” I said, not bothering to look at the man.

“I am not your fucking shadow! That’s just where I happen to live for the moment! Get it right, asshole!”

“…Nicely done. I see you’ve recently been released from prison. Would you like to come with me?” I glanced over at the man. “My name is Magnus; I could give you work…if you’re interested.”

Chapter 27: Night of Farewells

Thomas Kasuto

Yew

45 Minutes

 

“Thomas, can we stop and rest for a moment?!” Statuedramon wheezed. “We’ve been running ever since we left that lab…” I stopped, looking up at the starry, moonlit sky. It was completely silent, other than the sounds of our footsteps on the sidewalk and our heavy breathing. The ground was wet, and the scent of rain lingered in the air.

“Sorry…I’ve just been thinking about what happened back there,” I said. “Neither of you are hurt, are you?”

“No, we’re fine,” Statch said. “I’m still a bit confused about Flamedramon, though…”

“I think that should be the least of our concerns…” I said. “Adrian…has he really betrayed us?”

“Yes, he did!” Statuedramon shouted. “The little prick betrayed us, all right?!”

I sighed. “Whatever; let’s just get back to Saias’s Villa before Apollomon sends someone else to find us.”

“Too late; I see someone coming right now,” Statch pointed at an approaching Digimon.

“Don’t worry; I think it’s SlashAngemon,” I said.

“I guess we aren’t in that much trouble, then,” Statuedramon sighed with relief. “If Apollomon was really pissed, he’d have sent Dianamon to get us…” I shuddered. Unlike Apollomon, an angered Dianamon was, unfortunately, a rather common sight. Seeing her get angry was the last thing I wanted to see after what just happened.

“True; you are in no danger of being severely reprimanded,” SlashAngemon said as he walked up to us. Behind him was Irene, who looked even more scared and nervous than she usually did. “But do not think you’ll get off without being reprimanded at all; after all, Apollomon did tell you not to go, didn’t he? And you, Zelda; you were supposed to bring them back, not go with them!”

“Don’t yell at her!” I snapped. “…I talked her into going with us. It’s my fault, not hers.”

“…I understand,” SlashAngemon smiled.

“Um…what were you doing there?” Irene asked quietly.

“I wanted to see if I could find the one who killed Saias,” I said. “We didn’t find whoever did it, but we did find…some other things that were of interest.”

“Really, now? And what have you discovered?” SlashAngemon asked.

“We found some more people who could turn into Digimon like Garret,” Zelda said. “And among them was Adrian.” Irene and SlashAngemon both looked at her with stunned expressions.

“Adrian?! You must be joking! Adrian would never betray us!” SlashAngemon shouted.

“He did! That son of a bitch betrayed us, and he’s a Bio Hybrid, too!” Statuedramon said. “He’s betrayed us, so just deal with it!”

“…That lab is where Humans are turned into those Bio Hybrids,” I said. “And if that’s not enough to cause confusion, we escaped because Flamedramon helped us out.”

“You mean the Flamedramon? The one who’s trying to kill everybody? That Flamedramon?” Irene asked.

“That’s the one,” I replied to Irene, making sure to speak quietly, as I did not wish to upset her. “Though, he did say he was only helping us because it benefitted him.”

“What the hell is going on here?” SlashAngemon whispered. “Flamedramon helping you out, Adrian betraying us, Humans turning into Digimon…” SlashAngemon turned his head to look at us. “I’m going to that lab. Thomas, Zelda, Statuedramon, you go back to the Villa. Irene, come with me, sweetie.”

“What?! You’re going to Braig’s lab now?” I asked.

“And after you reprimanded us for going, too,” Statuedramon said.

“I apologize for that; I was unaware of the situation,” SlashAngemon said. “I’ll be careful not to be detected, especially with the possibility that Flamedramon is still there.”

“We left close to an hour ago; it’s possible they’ve all left,” I said.

“Right; we’ll both be back tomorrow.” SlashAngemon and Irene took the directions we received from Lector and went to the laboratory.

SlashAngemon

Braig’s Lab

1 Hour

 

“There doesn’t seem to be anybody here…” Irene and I had been walking through the lab for nearly fifteen minutes. “If Flamedramon and the others were still here, we’d probably be hearing the sounds of fighting.”

“That’s a good point…” Irene whispered

“Irene, are you okay? You seem quieter than usual,” I looked at the small girl, who was looking steadily down at the ground.

“I’m…fine…this place…frightens me,” Irene said.

“I’m sorry; we’ll leave as soon as possible, okay?” Irene nodded slowly. “I won’t let anything bad happen to you; I promise.”

“…I know…”

“That room over there seems to be empty,” I said. “Why don’t you go through the things in that room, and see if you can find anything important…” Irene nodded again as she walked into the room I pointed to. “I’ll be in the room next door; come get me if you need anything.” No reply. I sighed. “I probably shouldn’t have brought her here; too dangerous…what was I thinking?” I walked into the room next to Irene’s and looked around at the various book lying around on the floor. One book in particular caught my attention. “Mythos of the…Dark Area?! What is something like this doing here?! The Dark Area is where all evil Digimon and the souls of Humans go when they die…” I picked up the book — a difficult task for someone with blades for arms — and placed it on a nearby desk, opening it. As I read through the book, I grew more and more confused by its contents, and when I read a particular sentence, my heart nearly stopped. “‘It is said that with enough Quintessence, one can open the door to the Dark Area, thereby releasing the darkness within…’ Who would want to…do something like that…?” As I prepared to read on, I heard Irene walk into the room, crying. Forgetting about the book, I turned around. “Irene, are you okay?! What’s wrong?!” Irene shook her head. “Did…someone find you?” Once again, she shook her head.

“I’m…sorry…” was all Irene managed to say through her tears. My heart sank.

“…No…I should be the one apologizing,” I walked over to Irene. “I shouldn’t have left you alone when you were so frightened; I shouldn’t have even brought you here in the first place…”

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry…” Irene repeated over and over.

“What’s wrong, sweetie?” I asked.

“I don’t…have any choice…” Irene held out a small, trembling hand, and inside it, a strange, blue device.

“Irene…is that a Digivice? It looks like the one Garret had, according to Thomas’s description,” I said. “Where did you find it?” Irene began crying even harder as she placed her hand over the device, becoming enveloped in a blinding light; when it disappeared, Irene had grown several inches taller, and was wearing a blue evening gown. She no longer looked like the timid, adorable young girl I had grown accustomed to seeing every day; she was now a beautiful, adult woman. She was absolutely gorgeous…Sitting on the ground behind her was an urn overflowing with water and in her quivering hands was, pointed directly at my chest, a bow and arrow.

“I’m…so sorry…”

“…You’re with them, aren’t you…” Irene nodded, tears quickly streaming down her lovely face. For some reason, I didn’t feel angry. It was more like I couldn’t get angry. Even though I knew Irene had betrayed us, I couldn’t bring myself to hate her. I don’t know how to hate somebody I loved so much…

“This is why I didn’t want to come here…” Irene sobbed. “I knew you would…discover something…I knew I would be…forced to…to…”

“I understand,” I smiled at Irene. “Do what you must to me, Irene. Just get it over—” As I spoke, Irene released her arrow, which found its way into my chest. The impact and the pain knocked me back, and it hit me with a tremendous amount of force; it had nearly torn all the way through my back and hit the wall behind me. As blood came spilling out my wound, I fell to the ground, landing on my back.

“No…oh, Goddess, what have I done?!” Irene dropped her bow and ran over to me. “SlashAngemon! Please, please don’t die!”

Chapter 26: Bio Hybrid Fight

Thomas Kasuto

Braig’s Lab

 

“They force me to keep intruders out…disobeying them and allowing one in means they will bring an end to my life,” Andromon said.

“They’ll kill you for disobeying them?!” I asked. “Why would you willingly disobey them, knowing that?! And why would you wait until after our fight to do this?! You could’ve saved the both of us a lot of trouble, you know!”

“I wish for my life to come to an end,” Andromon said. “I told you about what I really am…a Human that was turned into a Digimon…I was originally created to be a Bio Hybrid, but they failed, and I am unable to revert back into my Human form…I live on as neither Human or Digimon…the easiest way to end it all is to be destroyed by my creators…they built me, so they can easily destroy me, but destroy me for no reason they will not…I fought with you to test your strength…stronger than me, you are, but strong enough to destroy me you are not.”

“…Okay, fine. I’ll…help you,” I said. “In return for my help, I expect you to answer all my questions, understood?”

“I shall answer only those that I know the answer to; that I promise,” Andromon walked weakly over to the door of the room, which had been forcefully removed from its hinges during the fight. “Come; follow me deeper into the lab.”

Zelda

 

“The Human girl and the midget Digimon who escaped during our previous encounter; why would you two be in a place like this?” Flamedramon asked.

“I am NOT a midget!” Statuedramon yelled indignantly.

“What are you doing here, Flamedramon?” I asked.

“Who’s in charge of this place; do you know?” Flamedramon asked.

“I…believe it’s being operated by a man named Braig,” I said.

“The Humans capable of turning into Digimon…they seem to be after me. I’ve had a run-in with one of them the other day,” Flamedramon said. “I’ll destroy this place before it manufactures any more of those freaks…and that man named Braig is going down in flames.”

“No…I won’t let you…step foot in there…” Boltmon wheezed. The Digimon began to pick himself up off the ground, but Flamedramon shoved his foot on top of Boltmon’s head, which slammed it down onto the ground.

“Wait, don’t kill him yet!” Statch shouted. “I have a few questions I need to ask him!”

“What I do with this thing is my own business!” Flamedramon snapped his claws, and Boltmon’s body became entirely covered in flames. His body then began to disintegrate, leaving behind the body of the man we saw in Mandrake Town. Flamedramon removed his foot from the bandit’s crushed skull and walked toward the lab.

He’s…just like Gallantmon…

“You aren’t…going to try and fight us as well?” Statch asked.

“Destroying this place is a higher priority for me,” Flamedramon said. “Judging by the fact that you were surprised by your friend’s transformation into a Digimon, I’d be willing to guess they aren’t allied with you; is this correct?”

“…We don’t know anything about this place,” I said.

“Come with me, then; I’ll need all the help I can get.” Flamedramon walked into the lab.

“What should we do, Statch?” I asked.

“Thomas told us to wait here; we can’t let anyone else in the lab,” Statuedramon said.

“But…we already did let someone in, and that someone is Flamedramon,” I said. “Flamedramon the serial killer…”

“…Good point; let’s go.”

Thomas Kasuto

 

Andromon had been leading me down a lightless corridor through the lab; it had been a straightforward path, and every now and then, we passed by a dimly lit bulb, just enough of them to provide us with enough light to see through the entire hallway.

“Who was it that turned you into a Digimon?” I asked.

“It was…more than one…” Andromon said. “I never saw their faces, nor do I know their names. The name Braig remains unfamiliar to me…” Andromon opened a door and led me into a room before he suddenly stopped walking, and I bumped into him. “Up ahead lies someone in wait; two of them, to be exact.”

“How can you tell?” I whispered. Andromon said nothing, and began walking again.

“They are two Humans,” Andromon said. “Something different about them, there is…” The lights in the room suddenly turned on, momentarily blinding me.

“Oh, Andromon, you ruined my big surprise! So, so naughty…” a woman’s voice said. “Why did you have to lead the boy so far into this place? We needed him alive just a little while longer, but it looks like his end has come…and don’t think that you won’t be going unpunished, Andromon.”

“Why else would I lead this child into this room?” Andromon asked. “Doing so…makes you upset, I knew it would. Upset enough…to kill me, perchance?”

“…So…you’ve completely given up on life, have you?”

“Who’s there?!” I asked, trying to look through the blindingly bright lights.

“Oh, you really don’t remember me? Aw, now you’ve gone and hurt my feelings…” Whoever was speaking to me began walking up to Andromon and me. By this point, my eyes had adjusted to the bright light. The room we were in was nearly empty, save for a bed with a few straps to hold someone in place, and around it, several stasis tubes filled with what appeared to be deep blue liquid. “That was a very naughty thing to do, Andromon; our master won’t be pleased at all.”

“I care not; I only wish to end what you have started,” Andromon said. “My life…or, rather, what is left of it…”

“Silly boy; I would never be so foolish as to eliminate our pawn.” The woman strode past Andromon and approached me; I felt my knees weaken when I saw who it was.

“…Abigail…? Is that you?” I asked.

“Oh, so you do remember me after all? How…touching…” Abigail reached up and placed her hand on my cheek. “I was only seventeen when you left that foul city with that woman. Thomas…why did you leave me behind? I thought we were friends! I was your only friend in that damn city, remember?!”

“Abigail, forget about your past; we have work to do,” a familiar voice said. Abigail’s arm fell to her side as she turned away from me. The man who spoke strode up to Abigail, and the lovely young woman kneeled before him.

“My sincerest apologies, Father Sephyrus,” Abigail said.

“Sephyrus?! You’re here too?!” I asked. The kindly priest smiled at me as he approached me. “So, you made it out of Cyclamen before those bandits arrived!”

“Bandits…? Oh, yes, them,” Sephyrus glanced at Abigail.

“Why are you here? I thought all civilians had returned to Cyclamen when the bandits were defeated,” I said, and then turned to Abigail. “And you…when I returned to Cyclamen about a week ago…was it you I saw?” Abigail smiled, and nodded slowly. “What are you both doing here?”

Zelda

 

“Are you certain you know where you’re going?” Flamedramon asked, giving Statuedramon a look of annoyance.

“Of course I am; Thomas is my best friend, and I know exactly which way he would go in this place!” Statuedramon said. “I think…” Flamedramon sighed.

“If you don’t want me to burn this place to the ground with your friend in it, you will take me where I want to go!” Flamedramon shouted.

Why is he coming with us? Didn’t he want to kill us earlier? I was frightened by being so close to Flamedramon. I could hear my heart beating louder and faster; my legs were shaking so hard, it was a wonder I was still able to walk, and I felt a terribly nauseating sense of dread in the pit of my stomach. As we continued to walk through the brightly lit corridor, Flamedramon turned around to face me, gazing at me with slight curiosity.

“You…you somehow feel…different from other Humans I’ve encountered,” Flamedramon said.

“I…I’m sorry…” These words came out almost instinctively. He can tell, too?! It’s been so long since anybody’s noticed, I’ve almost forgotten about it… Unlike other Digimon, Flamedramon didn’t seem unnerved by my presence, and instead continued to gaze at me with curiosity. “I’m sorry…”

Statuedramon stopped walking. “Flamedramon, let me make one thing very clear to you,” he said. “I know you have this whole vendetta against all living things, be they Human or Digimon, but if I see you even try to hurt her, I will fucking murder you; no matter how much stronger you are than me, I will kill you with my bare hands if you hurt her or any of my friends.” Upon hearing Statuedramon’s words, Flamedramon turned away from me.

“I…have no intention of killing her,” Flamedramon muttered. “It was probably just my imagination, anyway…”

“Ah, very well said, Statch!” said a voice from the shadows of a nearby doorway.

“That voice…is that you, Adrian?!” Statch hollered.

“Yeah, it’s me,” Adrian stepped out of the shadows.

“You’re back! Does that mean you’re all finished with what you needed to do?” Statuedramon asked. Adrian approached us, ignoring Statuedramon. “Are you…able to come back with us? To Lachesis?”

Has he forgotten so soon? I gazed at the large man with uncertainty as he approached the three of us. Boltmon said it was Adrian who brought him here…where he was turned from Human to Digimon…does that mean—!

“Sorry, buddy; I’m not coming back,” Adrian said. “There’s…something I need to show you. Could you come with me?”

“Okay, sure!” Statuedramon smiled and happily walked behind Adrian as the large man led him further down the corridor. “C’mon, what are you waiting for, Zelda? There isn’t anything to be afraid of; Adrian’s a good person!” I quickly glanced over at Flamedramon before walking after Statuedramon, and I could hear Flamedramon’s footsteps as he walked behind me. “So, where are you taking us, Adrian?”

“I’m taking you to see Thomas, of course,” Adrian spoke slowly and nervously, as if he were afraid something would leap out of the deep shadows of the lab and attack him.

Is it…Flamedramon that he’s afraid of? I glanced over my shoulder over at Flamedramon, who was glaring at Adrian. I don’t blame him; I’m sick to my stomach with fear about him, too…

“Thomas should be beyond these doors,” Adrian pointed to a pair of doors, near the end of the corridor.

“Thanks for the help, Adrian!” Statuedramon reached up to push the doors open when Adrian smacked his hand away. “What the hell, Adrian? Didn’t you say Thomas was past these doors?!”

“Indeed I did, but I cannot allow you to see him,” Adrian said. “I was really hoping to keep you two alive a little longer, but since you know where this laboratory is, I’m afraid I’m just going to have to—”

“Fire Rocket!” Flamedramon shrouded himself in flames as he launched himself at Adrian, who pulled a nearby door off its hinges and protected himself with it. Flamedramon crashed head-first into the door before falling to the floor, carefully holding his aching head in pain.

“Flamedramon, what are you doing?!” Statuedramon yelled.

“This man cannot be trusted by anyone!” Flamedramon said as he picked himself up off the floor. “Only by those that are like him!”

“You realized what I am, then? You’re pretty smart…for a serial killer!” Adrian swung the door he was holding and struck Flamedramon across the head with it, breaking the door into two pieces. Adrian then kicked Flamedramon in the stomach, launching him through the doors he had prevented Statuedramon from opening. Adrian walked through the doors after Flamedramon, and Statuedramon and I followed quickly after him and into a large, empty room.

“Look, there he is!” Statuedramon pointed over at Thomas, who was standing behind a tall Digimon I’d never seen before.

“Hey, Abigail, Sephyrus, I’ve brought you something special!” Adrian shouted, dragging the unconscious Flamedramon behind him and holding up his left arm.

“A job well done, Adrian,” Sephyrus said. “Now, this nuisance can finally be rid of once and for all.”

“Thomas, what’s going on?!” Statuedramon yelled. “Who the hell is that woman, and that Digimon that’s standing next to you? And what in Arcadia’s name is Father Sephyrus doing in a place like this?!”

“How adorable; your little friend has no idea what’s about to happen, does he?” The woman called Abigail looked over at Thomas.

“You ought to enlighten him, then; we owe them that much,” Sephyrus said.

“Yes, sir,” Abigail reached into her cleavage and pulled out a device identical to the one Garret had as Adrian reached into his pocket and pulled out another one.

“Oh, no…don’t tell me they’re—”

“Bio Hybrid DNA Charge!” Abigail interrupted Statch and slammed the palm of her hand on top of her device, which was colored black. “Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioLadyDevimon!”

“Bio Hybrid DNA Charge!” Adrian slammed the palm of his hand on the top of his device, which was colored brown. “Bio Hybrid Digivolve to, BioArbormon!”

“No…no way…” Statuedramon looked up at BioArbormon, who had dropped Flamedramon on the ground. “Adrian…you…you’ve betrayed us?!”

“Yes, I suppose you could say that,” BioArbormon said. “I was promised something by someone important; hell, all of us were promised something in return for our undying loyalty. And in return…we got to become these powerful beings, stronger than Humans AND Digimon!”

“I was promised nothing…” the Digimon standing in front of Thomas said.

“Nobody cares, Andromon,” BioLadyDevimon said.

“Adrian, you speak quite a bit too much,” Sephyrus said. “You really need to work on that.”

“Okay, okay, I’m sorry,” BioArbormon said.

“So…when you were dragged off by those knights all those years ago…you were taken here?!” Thomas asked.

“Yeah; I didn’t know about it at first, but after I could turn into this guy, I didn’t really care anymore,” BioArbormon said.

“I’ve been like this for nearly ten years now,” BioLadyDevimon said. “A few years after you left Cyclamen, I was given the ability to Bio Hybrid Digivolve.”

“…And what about you?” Statuedramon glared at Sephyrus. “Can you Digivolve too?”

“Yes, I can,” Sephyrus said. “Abigail and Adrian will be capable of defeating the three of you without my assistance, so I’m afraid you won’t be seeing what I can become. After you lot are out of the way, Flamedramon shall be dealt with, and then, the rest of your organization.”

“Sorry about this, Statch,” BioArbormon said. “…You know what? Actually, I’m not sorry; I’ve been promised something better than anything anyone at Lachesis could’ve ever given me!”

“Fire Rocket!” Flamedramon suddenly jumped up off the ground and assaulted BioArbormon, tackling him to the ground. “You, over there!” Flamedramon looked over at the Digimon Abigail referred to as Andromon. “Give me some help!”

“Flamedramon, what are you doing?!” Statch asked.

“What does it look like? I’m saving your sorry asses!” Flamedramon was kneed in the stomach by BioArbormon, who shoved him off and got back on his feet. “You’d better appreciate it; the next time we meet, don’t expect any mercy!”

“Lightning Blade!” Andromon turned his hand into a spike and hurled an electric bolt at BioArbormon, who leaped out of the way of the attack.

“Andromon, what are you doing?! You’re supposed to be on our side!” BioLadyDevimon snapped.

“We aren’t mad at you for leading the boy here, if that is the worry plaguing your mind,” Sephyrus said calmly.

“It had come to my realization that you are the only ones capable of ending my pitiful life,” Andromon said. “That was originally why I led Thomas here; so you would kill me. But now, after learning the rest of you were promised rewards for your service, while I’ve been given nothing after all I’ve done for you, I felt emotion for the first time in countless years; envy, wrath…after all I’ve done for you, I haven’t been given anything in return for my services!”

“You haven’t been given anything because you’re a failed experiment!” BioLadyDevimon said. “You and that clueless ogre, Boltmon…we shouldn’t have wasted our time with either of you!”

“You may not have told me much about what you’ve all been doing, but I know enough,” Andromon said. “You must be stopped!”

“Now you’re talking!” Flamedramon said.

“What about you? Why are you helping us?!” Thomas asked. “Weren’t you trying to murder us?!”

“I only assist you for my own reasons; these guys are a bigger threat to me than your guild,” Flamedramon said. “Now, go! Get out of here! Andromon and I will distract them long enough for you to escape! Flame Fist!” After Thomas ran over to us, Flamedramon shot flames from his hands between us and the Bio Hybrids. “Go, now!”

“Come on, let’s go!” Thomas said, quickly grabbing my hand and leading us out of the room and through the dimly lit hallways. My stomach was churning and my heart was pounding, but I felt a sense of relief wash over me as we finally found the door to the outside, where we were once again in the light of the moon.

Chapter 25: Human No Longer

Zelda

Yew

 

“It started when I was about five years old, while I was still living in Cyclamen City,” Thomas said. “It was…soon after my parents had both been killed by bandits that I was found by her…Victoria Kasuto. She was the woman who taught me how to use a sword. She was beautiful, elegant, and gentle…the complete opposite of my real mother. Victoria just happened to be in Cyclamen when she found me, standing in front of my parents’ graves, completely ignored by all the passersby of the city. Even at that young an age, I knew what death was, and I knew it had afflicted my mother and father, but it wasn’t until Victoria found me that I cried, not because of my parents dying, but because that was the first time I knew what it was like to have someone care about me.”

“Oh, you poor thing…” I whispered.

“How long were you with her when you first found me?” Statuedramon asked.

“…I’d been living with her for three years,” Thomas said. “You were collapsed and hungry, as usual.”

“I can’t imagine myself any other way,” Statuedramon said with a proud grin. “I remember her agreeing to teach you how to use a sword the day after you found me as if it were yesterday…”

“She said that part of the reason she took me in was because I reminded her of her son,” Thomas said. “She didn’t speak about it much, but she did tell me once that after her son was born, she was told the boy had a substantial amount of quintessence, and they took him away from her before she even got to hold him, and was later told he had died. Victoria is the closest person I have to a mother, and the first person who was ever kind to me, and each and every day, she cried about that one terrible happened to her. I just could never understand why this kind, beautiful woman was forced to endure so much pain, day after day, and even when it hurt her, she always smiled at me; all because her only child had been taken from her. She’s the reason why I joined Lachesis; I was hoping I’d find whoever took her child, and make them suffer for what they did to her. I just…wanted to do something to keep her from crying…so that she would always be smiling…”

“Thomas…you’re so sweet,” I said. Thomas blushed, absentmindedly pulled on his beard, and looked down at the ground. Aww, I’ve never seen him embarrassed before! How adorable!

“…She also told me…that the boy’s father…was a knight,” he continued.

“And that’s why you want to go to Braig’s lab?” Statch asked. “You think either Braig or Ienzo was involved in her child being taken from her?”

“She was told he had a substantial amount of quintessence; it wasn’t until after we took Ienzo to Paeonia that I remembered, and I started thinking about all of this,” Thomas said. “Who else would have done something so cruel? I’m going to find Braig, and I’ll make him tell me what I want to know. Also…” Thomas turned to look at Statuedramon and me. “I’m hoping to find out something about whatever it was that Saias fought last night. It’s my fault he died…if I had just been stronger, then maybe he wouldn’t have…”   

“Thomas, nobody in Lachesis thinks what happened was your fault!” I walked over to Thomas. “I can understand wanting to find Braig to make Victoria happy, but Saias’s death was not your fault, so please…just don’t blame yourself for what happened to him, okay?” I reached over and gave his hand a small, comforting squeeze.

“She’s right; you can’t go blaming yourself each time a friend dies,” Statch said. “Even though Adrian isn’t actually dead, but…you know what I mean, right, buddy?”

“Yeah…I do,” I said. “Well, let’s get going, shall we?”

Thomas Kasuto

Braig’s Lab

5 Minutes

 

“It’s not as…big as I expected,” Statuedramon said. “Also, why aren’t there any, like, guards or anything?”

“That just makes things easier for me,” I said. “I’m going in alone.”

“Then why the hell are we here?” Statuedramon asked.

“If we could be of help to you, then you should let us help,” Zelda said. “You shouldn’t try to do everything by yourself.”

“This isn’t like when we fought Etemon, or even Devimon.” I looked through the front doors of the lab — there were no lights on, indicating that it was vacant. “I don’t know if I’ll find who I’m looking for in here, but if I do…I don’t want you to see what I would do.”

“There isn’t anything you could do in there that would disgust me or anything.”

“I know there isn’t, Statch,” I interrupted, looking at Zelda. “Can you just…wait for me out here and make sure nobody comes in?”

“Alright, fine,” Statch muttered.

“We won’t let you down,” Zelda smiled kindly at me.

“I know you won’t,” I smiled back, and then walked into the lab, feeling apprehensive, and yet alert and ready to kill.

Where are you, Braig?! I quietly opened the door of every room and looked in, but saw nobody. The entire building appeared to be deserted. Maybe this wasn’t a good idea. I would have come during the day, but if anybody noticed me walking around a place like this...that wouldn’t exactly be the best thing right now… I opened yet another door, and was shocked when I saw that the lights were on in this room. I looked in, hiding behind the door, but the room was completely empty. I walked in and instantly noticed a large book lying closed on top of a rather cluttered desk. It doesn’t have anything written on it…no title or anything, not even an author’s name… I opened the book, and there on the first page, were the words Quintessence: A Complete Guide on How to Extract It. “Well, now…looks like I’ve struck gold. If a book like this is right here in the open, then is Braig teaching others how to do this?” I began flipping through the pages of the book, briefly skimming through the words — not finding any information Ienzo hadn’t already told me — when the door behind me slammed shut. Surprised, I closed the book and turned around and saw a strange looking man standing behind me. “W—who are you? You look too big to be a Human…what are you? Are you a Digimon?”

“I…used to be a Human, but now I live here as a Digimon…” the man spoke in a somber, monotone voice.

“I’ve never seen a Digimon like you before,” I said. “Who are you?!”

“That’s what I ought to be asking you,” the man said. “My name is Andromon…forcefully brought here against my will, and turned into a Digimon, I was…they now force me to guard this place, but it really is not so bad.”

“They force you? Who exactly is ‘they?’” I picked up the book I was reading and held it behind my back.

“You know…I never once bothered to ask who they are…” Andromon said.

He came in just before I could discover anything new about quintessence…I’ll have to make this quick!

“Even I know not the identities of my captors…of those who turned me from flesh to steel…” Andromon began walking over to me. “I have been given orders to eliminate all unwanted intruders…it is a sad life I lead, one I was forced into without consent…I must now do the bidding of those who control all that they desire…” Andromon’s right hand began spinning until it turned into a large spike. “My sincerest apologies to both you and those you call kin…but you must fall, right here and now…”

Statuedramon

 

“Thomas sure has been gone a while,” Zelda said. “Are you sure we shouldn’t be in there with him?”

“Nah; Thomas will be fine on his own,” I said. “It’s more important that we keep others from going in while he’s in there — if we can.”

“Well now, here are a few faces I thought I’d never see again! One of them pretty, one of them not so pretty…” a voice from the shadows said.

“Who’s there?!” I yelled. “Show yourself!”

“As you wish…” it was a man’s voice that spoke, and as he walked out of the shadows, I began to regret my demands; the man was more than twice my height, heavily muscular, and carrying a large tomahawk. “The name’s Boltmon; have you missed me?” Boltmon gazed expectantly at us. “So…you’ve forgotten me? No surprise there; I guess I do look a lot different than I did before…” Boltmon stuck his tomahawk’s blade into the ground and cracked his knuckles. “I’m the man you rudely and cruelly forced out of my lovely Mandrake Town!”

“You?! You…I don’t know your name,” I said. “But…you were a Human, right?! How did you become a Digimon?!” What’s worse, I’ve never seen a Digimon like this before! He looks like he wants to fight, and we don’t know how strong he is!

“Are you a Bio Hybrid?” Zelda asked.

“Well, aren’t you a smart one, gorgeous? I wasn’t aware there was anyone outside this damn lab that knew what that word was, let alone knew we exist,” Boltmon said. “What I am is of no concern to you — those in charge of this place wouldn’t want a few rats sniffing around, so I’ve been hired to exterminate vermin like you! Prepare yourselves; I take my job very seriously!” 

Thomas Kasuto

 

“Prepare for an untimely demise…Lightning Blade!” Andromon swung his arm through the air and fired a bolt of electricity at me. I immediately held up the book to protect myself, which instantly burst into flames and was immediately incinerated.

Great; now I’ll never know what’s in there! The book fell to the floor as a small pile of ash.

“That was but a small sample of what you will feel…while I tear your limbs off one by one,” Andromon said.

“I doubt whoever is bossing you around will be too pleased over the fact that you just destroyed their precious book.” I drew my sword from its scabbard, my hands firmly gripped around its hilt.

“I feel…no fear…” Andromon said. “I feel nothing…no happiness…no anger…no boredom…emotions have all but remained within me as I morphed into this grotesque form…”

I should be careful…I have no idea what a Digimon like this is capable of... “What kind of Digimon are you? I’ve never seen one like you before!”

“I’m not surprised…I was…recently created…no other Digimon are like me,” Andromon said. “Just like my friend…”

“Your friend?”

Andromon nodded. “He should be outside now…dealing with your friends, he is…no doubt, they have already perished…”

“You don’t know what my friends are capable of!” I ran up to Andromon and begun rapidly swinging my blade at the tall Digimon, who blocked each swing with the side of his metal arms.

“You waste your time, real Human…my body is composed entirely of steel…a sword shall not cut through my skin. Gatling Attack!” Andromon opened up his chest plate and fired two missiles at me, both of which missed me when I ducked out of the way, and they both crashed into a wall. “You have no hope…of attaining victory while your opponent is me…Gatling Attack!” Andromon launched another pair of missiles, and as they flew closer and closer to me, I leaped into the air and, after dropping my sword, grabbed them both and threw them back at Andromon, causing them to explode when they struck him. A small, blazing fire engulfed the Digimon as he was struck by his own attack.

Zelda

 

“Battle Tomahawk!” Boltmon lifted up his enormous weapon and hurled it at us, though it was so high up in the air that it missed my head by about two feet. The tomahawk soon came flying back to Boltmon, who caught it without even looking. “Hmm…I guess I am a little too tall to be doing things that way…”

“Come forth, Vajramon!”

“Vajramon, you say?” Boltmon grinned as the form of Vajramon appeared before me. “How about that; it’s been a while, Vajramon! How’ve you been, buddy? Wait…did that little girl scavenge your talisman after the big guy dragged me away?! That thievin’ little bitch!”

“I’ll only ask you once not to speak ill of the lady.” Vajramon, towering over Boltmon, drew both his swords and pointed them threateningly at Boltmon’s chest. “All those who threaten or insult my fair lady shall not live to do so again!”

“Vajramon, would you really turn your sword against your old master?” Boltmon asked.

“Deva Blade!” Vajramon swung his blades and fired an x-shaped energy beam from them that struck Boltmon in the face; the Digimon, however, yawned as the attack hit him.

“Come on; after the shit I’ve been through becoming a Digimon, there isn’t an attack strong enough to hurt me anymore; Battle Tomahawk!” Boltmon leapt up and struck Vajramon across the face with his axe; the Digimon Spirit instantly vanished as Boltmon landed on the ground. “Who’s next? Come on; I’m a Mega level Digimon, here; I need a challenge!” Statuedramon stepped forward, though I placed my hand over his shoulder to stop him. He looked up and gave me a confused look as I pulled out another Digimon Talisman.

“Come forth, Gallantmon!” The Spirit of the Exalted Knight Digimon instantly materialized in front of me, glaring down at Boltmon.

“…the fuck are you?!” Gallantmon sneered.

“My name is Boltmon!” Boltmon stared, undaunted, up at Gallantmon, despite the Exalted Knight being even taller than Vajramon. “Currently, a Mega Level Digimon; at one point in time, a Human!”

“I don’t care; Royal Saber!”

“What the hell?!” Boltmon ducked out of the way of the blast of lightning Gallantmon fired from his lance. “You can’t just say you don’t freaking care! I used to be a fucking Human, here! Does that not surprise you in the slightest?! I completely changed my freaking species when the big guy dragged me over here!”

“Adrian brought you here?!” Statch asked.

“Final Elysion!” Boltmon narrowly ducked out of the way of Gallantmon’s attack. “I don’t need to know about the personal lives of my enemies; that information does not help me destroy them! Royal Saber!”

“Battle Tomahawk!” Boltmon tossed his axe into Gallantmon’s attack, which created an explosion when the two attacks collided. Boltmon’s axe fell to the ground in a charred heap, much to its owner’s dismay.

“Pathetic; you claim to be at the same level as me, and yet this is all you’re capable of?!” Gallantmon asked.

“I don’t understand; the people who made me said I was stronger than any Digimon!” Boltmon whined.

“You said you were originally a Human, correct? There’s your answer; nothing as weak as a Human, even if they’ve turned into a Digimon, could dare to have any hope of defeating someone like me,” Gallantmon said. “I don’t feel like wasting any more of my time on weaklings like you, so I’ll take my leave of you.”

“Wait a minute, where the hell are you going?! You can’t just leave us—” Statuedramon asked.

“Where I go is my own damn business!” Gallantmon then faded away and vanished.

“Damn it! What are we going to do now?!” Statch asked. Boltmon walked over to his charred axe and tried to pick it up, but it fell apart into dust as soon as he touched it.

“Shame; I rather liked that axe,” Boltmon said. “No matter; I can deal with the two of you on my own! I’ll crush your skulls with my bare hands!” As Boltmon began running over to us, a stream of flames burst through his chest; screaming in pain, Boltmon fell to the ground, gasping for air. Standing behind him was a Digimon I’d hoped to never see again.

“The Human girl and the midget Digimon who escaped during our previous encounter; why would you two be in a place like this?” Flamedramon asked.

Thomas Kasuto

 

Andromon walked through the flames caused by the explosion like they were nothing; however, his armor was severely singed, and he was walking more unsteadily.

“I can keep this up as long as I need to,” I said. “You, on the other hand, look like you’re beginning to tire out.”

“I do not understand why…” Andromon said. His breathing sounded more labored. “Somehow…a Human was able to defeat me…”

“…I haven’t defeated you yet,” I reminded him. “You’re still standing, after all.”

“I’ve no more energy left in my body to fight…” Andromon said. “I barely have enough to stand…”

“Well, if that’s the case, I’ll just be on my way, then.”

“Halt!” Andromon shouted. “…You’ve never been here before…get lost without someone to guide you, you will…”

“Are you volunteering?” I asked. Andromon said nothing, staring blankly at me. “I’ll take that as a yes…but why are you helping me? I thought the omniscient they were forcing you to protect this place, not lead an intruder deeper in.”

“Very simple, it all is,” Andromon said. “They force me to keep intruders out…disobeying them and allowing one in means they will bring an end to my life.”

Chapter 24: Braig's Laboratory

Thomas Kasuto

Saias’s Villa

 

I had been sitting on the front porch of Saias’s villa for hours, unable to get the memories of what happened last night out of my head. What did happen? I wasn’t entirely sure myself, and yet everything played back in my mind vividly…especially the yellow eyes I saw in the shadows. They were glowing in the most eerie way I could imagine, and the pupils were thin slits, like those belonging to a Reptile Digimon. I knew I didn’t want to sleep; I was sure I would be seeing those eyes the moment I fell asleep. Not that I could sleep, even if I wanted to. The fact that Saias had been killed by such a creature…it was an overwhelming thought. Not knowing what lurked in that forest; not knowing the identity of what dragged off Saias’s body...it scared me. He could still be alive…Adrian was taken away like that, too, and he’s still alive... I sighed, relieved by this thought until another one popped into my mind. He lost a lot of blood though…And he was stabbed through the chest… I was annoyed by the fact that Saias told me to stay away from the forest, and it didn’t make any sense why he would want me to wait until morning for me to tell everyone about what had happened last night. I guess he just wanted everyone to sleep…after all that’s happened lately, they all need to, I suppose, but even still… I looked up at the early morning sky. Saias…how could Saias of all people be dead?! The front doors of the villa opened up, and I turned around to see Lector standing behind me.

“All the others are awake; what are you doing out here?” Lector asked. “Hey, have you seen Saias? I can’t find him anywhere…” I stood up and walked into the villa. “Are you okay, Thomas?” I shook my head.

“There’s something I need to tell you…”

5 Minutes

 

“Y—you can’t be serious!” Lector stammered after the long silence that followed my account of what happened last night. “There’s no way I’m going to believe that Saias is dead!” Everyone in the room went silent at the news I had just given them. “He can’t…he was…he is…my best friend…”

“I saw the entire thing,” I said in a firm, but shaky voice. “We went into the woods behind this villa, and we were attacked by…something. I don’t know what it was, but whatever it was killed Saias and dragged him off into the shadows; it didn’t even leave his blood behind from where it landed on the grass. There wasn’t anything I could do to help him…” Lector stared at me for the longest time before resting his forehead in his hands. “I’m sorry…if I weren’t so weak, I could have…helped him…” Zelda took my hand in hers, and held on tight.

“It’s not your fault,” Lector said immediately. “I have no intention of blaming you for…for what happened. It’s just difficult to believe…”

“Did he tell you anything before it happened?” Dianamon asked. “Anything about what he was fighting?”

“He didn’t seem to know what he was fighting,” I said. “All he said before he was taken by the shadow was that he wanted Lector to return to Yew.”

“The capital city of Valencia? Why would he want me there?” Lector asked. “That’s where we work, of course, but why would he want me to go back so soon?”

“I wasn’t told,” I replied. “Saias also…he apologized for not being able to help us out more…”

“He did so much for us; why would he apologize?” Apollomon asked. “I never really got the chance to thank him properly…”

“Thank him…” Lector narrowed his eyes as if in thought. “It’s Braig!” He exclaimed. “He wanted me to go back to Yew because he wants me to keep an eye on Braig! Neither of us trusted him!”

“You mean Ienzo’s replacement?” Apollomon asked. “What reasons did you have for not trusting one of your own?”

“He’s doing the job Ienzo had, remember?” Lector asked. “That man…he seems to enjoy his work too much. I’ve seen him smiling, laughing even, after finishing a job, whatever the hell it is; I’m guessing he wants me to go back there to keep an eye on him for you guys.”

“How long has he been working for you?” Dianamon asked. “How long have you known him?”

“He was hired four years ago—practically the day after Ienzo left,” Lector said. “Saias and I have known him for quite a while, but we never knew what it was that he did. It wasn’t until recently, when we learned what Ienzo used to do, that we began to grow suspicious of him.”

“Where does he work?” I suddenly asked without thinking.

“Why do you want to know?” Lector asked.

“Braig is doing experiments on living beings for quintessence, isn’t he?” I asked.

“Yes, he is, but—”

“Where does he work?” I asked again. After a moment, Lector sighed, and then took out a small notepad and pencil from his pocket and wrote something down. He tore off the sheet of paper he had written on and gave it to me.

“This is the address of the laboratory where Braig works,” Lector said. “However, I strongly advise that you do not go unless it is very urgent. The place is crawling with knights during the day, and who knows what at night.”

“I understand,” I said. Lector stood up and walked to the front door of the villa. During the day, huh?

“I apologize for not being very helpful to you all, but I promise, I will do my best to stop Braig from doing whatever he’s doing, and I will find the one responsible for Saias’s death.”

“You don’t need to apologize, Sir Lector,” Apollomon said. “You and Saias have already done so much to help us, and for that, I thank you from the bottom of my heart.” Lector smiled and bowed his head before leaving. As soon as the villa’s front doors closed, Apollomon clasped his hand over my shoulder, turning my body so I was looking him in the eye. “Thomas…under no circumstances are you to go to that laboratory. Do you understand?” I had never seen Apollomon look so stern before, and it momentarily caught me off guard. I barely managed to nod, and he smiled. “Good; I know you aren’t Statuedramon, so I know telling you something that’s common sense isn’t necessary—”

“Hey!” Statuedramon interjected.

“—but I just had to be sure,” Apollomon said.

Yew

~12 Hours

 

“Can you still read it?” I asked.

“It’s pretty dark; it’s nearly midnight, after all,” Statuedramon held the paper Lector had given me. “My eyesight is better than a Human’s, though — no offence, buddy. Even with your glasses, you probably still couldn’t read it.”

“None taken,” I replied.

“With this much moonlight, I can read it just fine,” Statuedramon squinted his eyes as he read the directions. “Just one block away, I think…” Statuedramon looked up at me. “Are you sure we should be doing this? I’ve never seen Apollomon angry before, so I don’t know what he’d do to you if—”

“You can go back, if you want,” I said. “I won’t mind; I can find my way to the laboratory from here.”

“It’s not me that I’m worried about,” Statch said. “You’re the one he told not to go; I’m just an idiot! He’d probably say something like, ‘Don’t take advantage of total idiots like Statch, Thomas!’ I probably won’t get in much trouble, but what about you? Apollomon could have already sent someone to find us and drag us back by our—”

“He did,” a voice behind us said. It was Zelda. “Why did you come here?” she whispered. She was dressed in the same clothes she normally wore at night. Her halter top had been taken off, and she wore only the single, white top she wore around her breasts underneath, although her rather short skirt remained. Also, she was barefoot, looking as though she had left in such a hurry that she didn’t properly dress herself.

“I’ve been asking him the entire time we’ve been gone, but he hasn’t said a word,” Statuedramon looked up at me.

“It’s hard for me to talk about,” I said. “I won’t go back just yet; I need to do this. You can try to force me if you wish — I won’t fight back, but I’m not going back until I’m done here.”

“I see,” Zelda said. “Well, if you feel that strongly about it, then I’ll just have to go with you.”

“Go with us?!” Statuedramon yelled, though I quickly covered his mouth before he shouted anything else.

“We don’t know what kind of place this Braig has been working at; I don’t want anything to happen to you,” I said. “And there’s also Apollomon; we don’t know what he’d do if he ever got mad. Not even Garret has ever disobeyed an order before he got killed.”

“Do you think he’d hurt us?” Zelda asked.

“…No. He wouldn’t ever attack a friend. But, still, there’s no telling what he’d do, even to you,” I said.

“I’m going with you,” Zelda said more firmly. “You’re both my friends, and I want to help you.” After a long silence, I sighed.

“Okay…you can come with us,” I said. Zelda smiled.

Heh. I knew she would smile if I agreed…I just can’t say no to her when I know I’ll see that smile…

“Thomas,” Statuedramon said. “Can you at least tell us why you want to go into Braig’s lab?”

“Fine, I’ll tell you,” I said exhaustedly. “This may end up being a long story…or not. Either way, you should both make yourselves comfortable…”