[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]

[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. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[When Sora arrives, there will be signs of battle. Parts of the walls are scorched, doors have been blown open and there may be large gouges of wood taken out- claw marks, it looks like.

A search for them will reveal Bumblebee much farther in the house. He'll be in one of the bedrooms, the only one with a working lamp which will be on. Bumblebee will be sitting on the floor and leaning against the wall. Vanguard will be lying in his lap. Both seem to be unconscious.

While they look worse for the wear, and a little ruffled, they're not injured.]

[heartdive]

[ D:

doesn't matter if Bee and Vanguard look unharmed. the area looks nasty and it puts both of Sora's partners on edge. they are looking for more threats. a battle from an enemy they can't see yet.

and Sora is more concerned with the two leaning against the wall. what Sora wouldn't give for a working potion. 8T instead he has to resort to poking. ]

Hey!

[proveyourmetal]

[Poke away as Sora may, Bumblebee and Vanguard are sleeping soundly.

Though, there will be a loud creak as something large slowly lumbers down the hallway. A Waru Monzaemon stops in the doorway and the only exit, looking in. It lifts a monstrous claw to its lips:] Shhhh.

[heartdive]

[ telling Sora to "shhh." Sora doesn't know HOW to do something like that.

he looks back to the sleeping duo. worried. very much worried. remembering what they had just done, Sora digs in his pocket. produces the journal and waves it. they have what was wanted, right?

so what's going on. what happened!? ]

[proveyourmetal]

[The large bear squeezes in through the doorway, more eerie than clumsy or comical. And he looms over Sora, eyeing the journal. It blinks its slender red eyes a little wider.]

You.

Brought it back?

[heartdive]

Well... I was supposed to, right?

[ at the same time, Sora's partners tense. they don't like this... unknown digimon is too close to their Chosen for them to be comfortable. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[He looms over Sora, clawed hand slowly reaching for the journal.

He stops. His eyes are just suspicious red slits. Wait.]

... Trick?

[heartdive]

The digimon that took it kind of ripped a page or two, but I didn't do anything to it. Promise.

[ so there's no trickery. not as far as Sora knows. Sora can easily hand it over in good conscience. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[He eases back his intimidating stance, delicately opening the journal. He is impossibly gentle, opening the cover and running a claw over the pages. He almost forgets Sora is there for a minute.]

[heartdive]

[ must mean a lot to him. and Sora will give the digimon a moment to himself before looking back at his friends. ]

Are my friends going to wake up soon?

[proveyourmetal]

[He doesn't seem to hear Sora. Just turns another page. Then another. Until he gets to a ripped page and runs his claw lightly along the torn edge.]

I showed them.