[Video // Second Transformation]

[proveyourmetal]

[For all you night owls out there, Vanguard decides that now (just five minutes past midnight in an abandoned house at the edge of HospiTown) is the perfect time to voice his displeasure.:]

As you are all my witness, there is nothing here, there's no such things as ghosts, and if this rickety old house comes crashing down on our heads, it's Bumblebee's fault.

[Bumblebee shines his flashlight back at Vanguard and the D-terminal with an amused smile, Vanguard gives an indignant scoff.]

I'm not scared. I'm annoyed

[Bumblebee laughs silently, patting Vanguard as he moves past. Vanguard murmurs irately and paws his impeccably groomed mane back into place. Ghosts may not exist, but Digimon ghost types certainly exist. Even the small ones are a pain to deal with, dispatched with a good fireball. But the higher level ones? Best to stay away from those altogether.]

Can we just go now?

[Bee sighs. Fine, they can head home, if that's what he wants. Of course, that's when the camera catches a glimpse of something: moonlight pouring in from a window flickers on the wall behind him, like a shadow dashing across the light. Floorboards in the distance give off a terrible groan, wood creaking under something's weight. The orb of light from Bumblebee's flashlight creeps down the long, dark corridor. The beam hardly penetrates the stifling darkness to reveal a room at the end of the hallway, its door half fallen off its hinges.]

[The D-terminal's camera starts to shake from unsteady hands. And as camera focuses, two slivers of light stare back at them. Soft mumbling carries down the hallway as the D-terminal's shaking intensifies.]

[Bumblebee, stricken more with curiosity and wariness than fear, takes a tentative step forward. Bewildered, Vanguard snatches Bumblebee's sleeve]

What're you doing-!?

[As if in response to the noise, the two slivers of eyes disappear into the dark. A voice that is neither Bumblebee's nor Vanguard's hisses vehemently right next to the D-terminal:]

-can't take it from me!

[The inhuman noise that comes from Vanguard is so panicked and high pitched, it's practically comical. His flailing knocks the flashlight from Bee's hand, and the D-Terminal goes sailing with it. Both hit the ground with a clatter.]

[The last thing the feed picks up is the sound of rapid footsteps in the dark. The feed cuts.]

Comments

[proveyourmetal]

We'll need that familiarity. Do you remember that little scare me and Vanguard had earlier in the hallway?

[The uh... one where Vanguard essentially screamed like a little girl and Bee might have jumped two feet in the air.]

Well, we had a chat since then with our ghost digimon. He's pretty upset about something that was taken from him and he can't get it back, himself.

Feel like helping a new friend, Sora?

[heartdive]

[ oh Sora recalls. with a grin too, mind you.

but hey... someone's lost something. Sora is pretty good at finding things like all those ding dang puppies so maybe... ]

Sure thing! Just tell me what we're looking for and I'm sure I can find it.

[proveyourmetal]

[He takes a moment to discuss with the digimon before piecing together what he can from the strange wording.]

We're looking for a journal. From what I can make out, our first stop's going to be one of the upper floors of the hospital.

You've got to be discreet. See if you can get in without anyone seeing you?

[heartdive]

Journal. Right...

[ wait a minute... ]

Is there something in there? 'Cause I'm not like a ninja or something.

[proveyourmetal]

Not sure.

Hard to make out what he's saying. He just keeps repeating the same things over and over.

[heartdive]

What I wouldn't give for that portal thingie...

[ except that, you know, corridors are creepy dark power things. would make sneaking in easier. ]

Guess I'll give it a shot.

[proveyourmetal]

Portal thing?

[Your world has so many curious things, Sora.]

[heartdive]

[ hospital, hospital... maybe Ryu can evolve to Ultimate and they can get in a window or something. then again might be hard to MISS A GIANT DRAGON. baaah this sneaky stuff, man. ]

There's more than one way to travel between worlds. We use a gummi ship, but some pass through with portals... Usually not the BEST way to travel, since they're kind of a result of dark powers? But some friends of mine have used them in the past, so it's not like only bad guys do it.

[ Riku and Lea/Axel are not bad people. 8T neither is Roxas and Sora is pretty sure that, as a Nobody, he could do that sort of thing. ]

omg I thought i submitted this tag.

[proveyourmetal]

[Think of it like a minigame, Sora. Sneak sneak sneak...]

Convenient.

But I suppose that means the use of darkness there isn't so cut and dry after all...

pfft you're fine

[heartdive]

I'm kinda finding out that nothing really is.

[ maybe you should ask Donald how many dings that gummi ship has gotten over all this time. 8T ]

[proveyourmetal]

Given what I know of your world and who tends to use the darkness, it sounds risky. Why take the chance?

[heartdive]

[ okay. yes, we are going to do this through the window thing. of course Vixie can get up and in without problems. 8T just the kid and the dragon having a little bit of an issue.

but Sora still lowers his voice! ]

Sometimes people make mistakes and there are consequences for that. Other times they don't have any control over what happened to them.

[proveyourmetal]

[Don't get stuck. If the staff come up in the morning to see a dragon and a teenager stuck in a window...

Bee may not know the specific instances that Sora mentions, but he can understand concepts like it. Machine or not, Cybertronians are not immune to making similar mistakes. And he's experienced what it feels like to be out of control.]

Be careful, Sora.

[A few seconds later, a second text comes in, as if something has come up or interrupted.]

Hang on-

[heartdive]

[ thanks for the vote of confidence. anyone looking outside would probably find the sight of a Renamon and a teenager hefting a now Ryudamon through a window. it's taking them both to pull the armored digimon in.

only once safe inside does Sora answer. this time in text because talking isn't going to help them, is it... ]

Something up?

[proveyourmetal]

You already inside?

[heartdive]

Yeah. Please don't tell me I don't have to be.

[proveyourmetal]

You haven't run into anything strange, have you?

[heartdive]

Not yet?

[proveyourmetal]

[A small blip will hit Sora's terminal. It's a room not too far from Sora's position, just a few minutes away actually. It's a small, dusty office whose hinges are nearly rusted in place.]

He says the journal should be there.

But I'm not so sure this is just a milk run. He keeps mentioning to look out for someone or something, and I have a feeling he doesn't mean medical staff.

May be safer just to call it off?

[When he'd started this, it had been with the assumption there wouldn't be any hint of danger.]

[heartdive]

[ you're sending him to weird places, Bee. but that's all right. Ryu is out in front, leading the way. Vixie might be latched onto Sora's hood, though. she's a little nervous about all of this, even if they other two are not. ]

I'm already here though. Kind of seems silly to -

[ aaaaaaand never gonna get a chance to finish that. nope. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[Unfinished text message. Was it a mistake or...?

He doesn't notice he's holding his breath.]

Sora?

[heartdive]

[ video comes on instead. the person on screen isn't Sora. it's Vixie. and does she look a little ashamed? likely! ]

Ummm... We might have gotten separated.

[proveyourmetal]

[Oh no. No, no no. He had sent Sora there with the distinct impression that there wasn't going to be any danger. It was the hospital- plenty of other people in the wings, and the worst scenario of getting caught was to just be escorted out by staff. He was apparently wrong. Very wrong.

He types hastily into the D-terminal.]

What? How? What happened?

Is Sora all right?!

[heartdive]

I felt this thing on my shoulder a-and I just panicked...

[ and she might have screamed and bolted. just saying. she sags just a little. ]

Some digimon I am. Ryu probably is still there with Sora.

[ but just going to curl up right there. ah ha... ]

[proveyourmetal]

It's all right. I can imagine how that feel.

[As the beginning of Vanguard and Bee's video can attest. He hadn't known Vanguard could scream so high-pitched. He didn't know who grabbed who or who started running first and-

Well. First things first. Check on the poor digi.]

You're not hurt, are you?