[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]

[ 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...

[proveyourmetal]

Sora? What is it?

[The hand won't reach for him again, but if he waits long enough, he'll hear scratching against the wooden grain of the drawer. Then scratching against the cover. Then soft ripping sounds, as if something is slowly taking apart the journal, page by page.]

[heartdive]

I'll get back to you on that.

[ nah. not giving the thing the chance to recover. Sora's going to keep working at the drawer and attempting to snatch up that book. ]

LOL dat icon

[proveyourmetal]

[The drawer finally comes unstuck, opening to reveal the scarred journal, two pages already half hanging out from the mysterious culprit.]

[Grab it, Sora! Lest the drawer phantom gets any ideas.]

[Never mind the soft sound of whispering in the halls outside.]

i like my icons ;D

[heartdive]

[ SNATCHING THAT JOURNAL UP! ]

Got it!

[ but he isn't paying any mind to those voices. VIXIE is though, and she's shrinking away from the door. ]

S-Sora...

here comes phantomon, he be up in yo hospital, scarin yo digis.

[proveyourmetal]

[There may be radio silence on Bee's end.

There may also be the sound of chains nearing their position and stopping outside the door. A voice whispers just beyond sight.]

Who--?

[heartdive]

[ Vixie helps, immediately ducking behind Sora. Ryu, growling, takes a few paces to stand in front of his partner. said partner, though, is just looking a little bewildered at Vixie for a moment...

then he looks towards the door. ]

Hey.. It's not like we mean you any harm.

[ it's true... ]

[proveyourmetal]

[White, slender fingers snake their way around the door frame, and a hooded, black void of a face slowly slides into view- just enough that a single eye is staring back at them.]

No... you just want to steal from me

Is that it?

[heartdive]

Stealing? I didn't think that we were stealing.

[ that's the truth. Vixie is nodding her head, agreeing with Sora. Ryu, though... yeah he's just going to keep eying with suspicion. ]

We were sent to get this. Is it yours?

[proveyourmetal]

[The lights may be flickering out in the hallway, leaving the group in occasional lapses of darkness.]

SENT here? You're lying.

I took it first. It's mine.

They didn't deserve to have it, and neither do you.

[heartdive]

You took it first. So you stole it.

[ Sora is tucking the journal in one of his many pockets. ]

Look at that... It disappeared.

[proveyourmetal]

You take something of mine.

I'll take something of yours.

[The phantom will slide back out into the hall and out of view. There will be a tense pause where silence reigns.

The next time that Sora and his digimon see the digimon, he'll be close enough to breathe down Sora's neck. Cold, clammy fingers will wrap around Sora's leg.

Given the chance, Phantomon wil drag Sora backwards and steal him away, right out the window.]

[heartdive]

[ okay... NOW Sora's yelping. why would a digimon want to take HIM of all things!?

good thing Ryudamon isn't about to let that happen. while Vixie latches onto her partner, Ryu is lunching at the phantom-like digimon, ready to take it out before Sora can be taken. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[Phantomon will be materializing his scythe into his hand to fend off Ryu, swinging it in long, sweeping arcs at the digimon.

Phantomon won't relinquish his hold on Sora, resulting in a grim tug-of-war. His two digimon will have to make him let go, now won't they?]

[heartdive]

[ so they will both have to attack. sort of. as a light shines around Vixie, she shifts into Sorcermon. still holding onto her partner, she works her icy illusion spell.

Ryu, however, just counters each blow of the scythe with his helmet. between the two of them, they are not going to go down without a fight. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[A bewildered grunt escapes Phantomon as the assault continues. It's Sorcermon's icy assault that will finally cause Phantomon to break his hold on Sora.

They have a few precious moments of an opening as Phantomon attempts to recover in the whirlwind of ice and snow]

[heartdive]

[ and those moments are all they need. Ryu and Vixie exchange glances and nod. Sora? Sora's completely lost.

their plan? the trio making for the window. and JUMPING OUT IT.

all is well, though. Ryu can easily evolve into Ginryumon to catch and float them down to the surface. Sora whoops, saying they need to do that again. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[Phantomon recovers just in time to see the trio go flying out the window. He sails right up to the window, eyes flashing with fury, burning the image of the three into his mind as they disappear into the night.]

[Looks like it's smooth sailing from there, perhaps?]

[heartdive]

[ Sora certainly hopes so! which is why he's shaking the device in his hands. ]

Bee! Bee!

[proveyourmetal]

[Unfortunately Sora will receive no answer from Bumblebee the entire duration of Sora's trip towards the abandoned house.

Well, that's not ominous.]

[heartdive]

[ it's got him worried enough to tell Ryu to go faster. Ryu doesn't even complain as he zips towards the abandoned house.

the dragon doesn't change back either. neither one of his partners do as they get there, ready to pretty much bust down the house if need be. ]