[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

[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?

[heartdive]

Right.

[ she remembers. now feels a little bad for having her own chuckle about it. taking a deep breath, she shakes her head. ]

No, I'm not hurt. Unless you count my pride.

[proveyourmetal]

[He's relieved it wasn't a direct attack at least. But Sora's still out there, separated from his digimon. If he has to, Bee's going to head down to the hospital himself. In fact, he may be walking towards the exit right now, with Vanguard and possibly the Bakemon right behind him.]

I'm heading down there.

You okay enough to search for your partners?

[heartdive]

[ the digimon shakes her head again. no, Bee. stay. it's all right she can do this. look at her go, even standing up with a deep breath. ]

I've got this.

[proveyourmetal]

[He slows to a stop, which seems to sooth the agitated Bakemon.]

You can do this.

Just keep your optics and audials open.

[heartdive]

My what...

[ keep talking. it's gonna help keep her nerves calms. ]

[proveyourmetal]

Right. Human terms.

Keep your eyes and ears open.

Look for signs of where he might've gone. Things out of place or overturned, marks on the floor, open windows or doors.

Trust yourself, and your instincts. You'll be fine.

[heartdive]

Appreciate it.

[ eyes and ears open. sorry Bee, but with every sound, her ears perk and eyes dart around. pursing lips and just... going to keep going. just keep going. maybe she can backtrack where they last left off.

they couldn't have gotten too far, right? ]

[proveyourmetal]

[He gives her some time to search around. He's patient for the most part, anxious as he is to see that Sora is all right.]

Any luck?

[heartdive]

Nothing yet. I thought that -

[ Vixie stops, looking ahead. there are some heavy steps in the hall that she's in... with a scratch noise to top it off. it's clear she's scared. unnerved. but she is going to take this like a digimon. ]

Hold on.

[even though the feed is abruptly cut, it's going to take a few minutes. rightfully so, really.

when it comes back on, there's a different face. ]

Took her long enough to come back, didn't it?

[ there's a whine in the background, definitely Vixie. and a chuckle. Sora. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[He rests a hand over his face, exhaling in relief. Kid just scared the marbles out of Bee, here.]

Sora.

You nearly blew a circuit in my processor.

We thought you were in serious trouble.

[heartdive]

Pfft. I wouldn't be in that much trouble. Sprained a wrist trying to break my fall, but we're all fine. Some Bakemon thought it would be funny to scare us, that's all.

[ Vixie is muttering "sorry, sorry. but a quick shoulder nudge from Sora shows he has no hard feelings. ]

Time to get that journal.

[proveyourmetal]

Not so sure about this Sora. I don't want you walking right into danger, with a sprained wrist. Even with your digimon there.

Vanguard says this ghost here is a Bakemon. It seems out of place that he'd be trying to warn us so hard of another Bakemon.

[heartdive]

Vixie can go Champion and Ryu Ultimate if they have to. It will be a waste if a trip if we leave now.

[proveyourmetal]

Can you give Vixie and Ryu the D-Terminal for a moment?

[heartdive]

Okay...?

[ and thus Sora hands off the device. It's Ryu that takes it, brow raised in question while Vixie looms behind. ]

[proveyourmetal]

If Sora is anything like the humans I've known, he may just charge into this regardless of how much I warn him.

He's still in one piece which means you've taken good care of him so far.

You'll pull him out if things get too hot, won't you?

[heartdive]

[ Ryu considers how to respond for a moment. Then opts for text himself. ]

I can't promise to pull him out. His determination isn't something that can easily be trampled. Rest assured that Vixie and I won't let anything happen to him. I have done so since his arrival and my other partner, though still new at this, has done a commendable job in the heat of battle.

[proveyourmetal]

[If they could see him, he'd be giving a small sigh.]

Sora's a good kid. Reckless. But a good kid.

This could be nothing at all. But on the chance that it isn't? I'll count on you two.

[heartdive]

We realize it. I have a memory of such a time recorded so that I am reminded of what kind of kid it is that I am protecting.

[ as Vixie knows far more about Sora than he does... but that memory event.. ]

You can count on us, I promise.

[proveyourmetal]

[A memory...? This may not be the time go ask, and the memory may be something intensely personal, which is why he doesn't ask yet. But Bee definitely stores it in the back of his mind.]

[And the determined reply is enough to ensure Bumblebee.]

You can hand the D-Terminal back to Sora when you're ready.

[heartdive]

I would but...

[ the camera whirls around... As Sora darts into the marked room. ]

Too late.