[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]

[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.

[heartdive]

Showed them...?

[ please say it's showing them something and not, you know, SHOWING THEM. ]

[proveyourmetal]

I showed them memories.

[He turns the journal around, revealing the telltale contents of a handwritten page. The handwriting is neat and playful, with hearts dotting the I's and g's curling into swirls occasionally. There are drawings of a creepy looking bear that looks remarkably like the digimon in front of Sora. There are ticket stubs, and receipts tucked into its pages.]

Of her.

[heartdive]

[ oh good. memories are okay things. also means that they will wake up on their own. in time.

Sora takes a second to look at the exposed page, careful not to touch or do something that could be offensive. ]

...Girlfriend?

[ he can only assume! ]

[proveyourmetal]

[The digimon shakes his head. Then flips the page where the image of a Crest of Friendship is drawn with excited lines radiating outward right to the edge of the page.]

Chosen.

[heartdive]

[ oh... oh well that certainly puts things into perspective. Sora even digs for his own crest. the same crest. his fist closes around it and he looks back to the digimon before him. ]

You miss 'em a lot, don't you?

[proveyourmetal]

[When Sora closes his hand around his crest, the digimon will close his book gently and then cradle it in the crook of his arm. The gaze he gives Sora is answer enough.]

He gives one long, exhale. And then takes one lumbering step after another towards the door as if he means to leave. It's time to go, because what he has asked has been done. And he is emotionally drained because of it.]

I am tired.

[heartdive]

[ understandably. so Sora makes no move to stop him, both Vixie and Ryu relaxing and changing back to their Rookie forms. there could be a speech here about how their bond, even though they are far apart, will never break. about how he always carries a piece of his Chosen with him and vice versa...

but Sora thinks that maybe having a physical piece might not be such a bad thing either.

so he and his partners will take a seat across from Bee and Vanguard. waiting. ]

[proveyourmetal]

[Sora may have a wait ahead of him. Vanguard still be the first to wake, and he doesn't even stir for another half an hour. And even then, he sits up groggily and disoriented, rubbing at his face.]