[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]

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.

[proveyourmetal]

[Bumblebee watches the feed carefully. The door isn't very difficult to open because of the rusted hinges and the already broken. Inside is an office with half-empty cabinets of paperwork, an office desk with several compartments covered in cobwebs and old pictures, shelves full of medical books, piles of old belongings as tall as Sora. All of them are covered in white sheets. All of this is begging to be searched.]

Feel like poking around?

[heartdive]

That's what we're here for, right?

[ which means that the three are going to split up and start looking about the room. even if that means moving stuff around and choking on dust. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[Wow.]

No one's been here in ages.

[Sora, you are going to be one giant dust bunny at the end of this.]

feel free to npc from here on out

[heartdive]

Couldn't tell..

[ Sora starts to look through all those medical books. maybe the journal is hidden in there? ]

o7

[proveyourmetal]

[Sora my or not hear a rattle by the desk in the next few minutes. Could of course, be all in his imagination.]

[heartdive]

[ Sora might not notice it right away, but Vixie sure does. she jumps and makes a little noise... which DOES catch Sora's attention.

so while Ryu takes up searching through the books, Sora in turn goes to inspect the source of the sound. if only to ease Vixie, mind you. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[The rattling will come from a drawer wedged shut. May be tough to get it open.]

Sora. It's empty where you are, right? You haven't run into anything?

[Because Bee may be seeing some weird things on his end.]

[heartdive]

Nothing yet. Why?

[ just going to start yanking on that drawer. Grunting and kicking at the desk commences soon after. ]

[proveyourmetal]

Because the Bakemon here are acting up.

[It gives, lurching suddenly at the force of the yanking. It opens just a few inches before becoming stuck again. Just a few inches enough to peek inside and see a worn, leatherbound journal. The drawer may be stuck, but there's just an inch or two enough that Sora could probably squeeze his hand right in and grab it.]

[Except if Sora chooses to reach for it, what looks to be white, ghostly fingers will reach out from the depths of the drawer. Its claws will come to rest possessively atop the journal's cover and it will pull the book a little further inside the drawer's confines.]

[heartdive]

[ gives enough for Sora to overcompensate and fall over with a shout. 8T stupid thing. ]

I'm okay... [ then after getting back up to peek... ] I think that it's in here. Maybe I can get my hand in...

[ this brings Vixie and Ryu back over, Ryu frowning. Vixie screaming soon after as Sora does, of course, attempt to get the book and SUDDEN WHITE HAND. he just jumps back with wide eyes... ]

Uh...