Digital Mayhem

E"(...You can do this, Euryale, you're a big girl.) This is no time to get shell-shocked! Agu & I will stay behind to protect Taiyo & Gabu, everyone else, go kill Puppetmon like we planned!"

T"What, the 2 teams thing?"

E"Yes, but there's a hallway in the middle of the second floor, Allina's in the middle room. I want you guys to break in on either side of that hallway."

*Hitomi stands up and holds a hand out to Tae, Salamon by her side.*

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*In front of her, the hallway features a right turn going around the room she left or she could go straight taking her to the stairs she was dragged up. Behind her is a box much like the one from the front door and a little ways past that, a t-junction. Mushroomon and Floramon run past her sticking close to the wall and seperate, Mushroomon going left and Floramon going right. From the room, Puppetmon can be heard counting "Eight... Nine... Ten..."*

[I hide... or I try to escape... Dammit.]

*She runs down the stairs.*

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*Tae takes her hand and gets up, rubbing his neck and clearing his throat. He then turns to Euryale.*

Tae: <If it's Puppetmon who's controlling us it could be dangerous to split up. Be careful.>

Hawkmon: <I'll fly us there!>

Tae: <N-No, he'll probably just crash us all down into a tree or something.>

E"From what I saw, he could only control 2 of us at a time. It's not a very safe hunch, but these are desperate times. Now go!"

*Betamon goes Quetzalmon & flies off with Tsune.*

Tae: <Okay...>

*Tae takes Hitomi's hand and starts into the woods. Razz and the three Digimon run off ahead.*

*BlackGabumon goes and collects the bracers Euryale had thrown at BlackAgumon & Betamon the night before and presents them to her.*

BlackGabumon:<You'll need these for after she wakes up, right?>

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*They pass through the forest and part way through the clearing in silence.*

"Sorry."

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*At the bottom of the stairs are more doors and hallways. The hallway in front of her has a box in the middle while the left and right path do not. The left path has three doors, two on the left and one on the right while the right path has five doors, three on the left and two on the right.*

*Euryale takes them, but then removes all of her armor.*

"It's too dangerous to have this stuff just lying around, in case Puppetmon takes control again."

*With that, she stoops down, putting everything in the chest plate & locking it, tying it with the leash.*

Tae: <W-What?>

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*She runs down the left path and enters the third door.*

BlackGabumon:<Right...>

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"For hitting you."

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*It's a small closet with nothing but an oh so familiar box inside. From above she can hear Puppetmon's footsteps.*

"Punch me."
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<This is, like, the longest trip EVER.>

Tae: <Oh... that's okay, it wasn't your fault. I hurt Taiyo and it was a lot worse too...>

*He sighs.*

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*Allina closes the door behind her and looks at the box.*

[Is it a trap?]

*BlackGabumon takes a few steps back.*

BlackGabumon:<What?! I-I can't do that.>

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*She goes silent. Passing through the forest, they get to the edge overlooking Puppetmon's manor where Orgremon & Panjyamon are hunkered down in the bushes. Zarek drops down from a tree, hanging from a branch by his legs, a pair of binoculars swinging about from his neck.*

Zarek:<Figured my suggestion would be disredarded with extreme prejudice.>

*He looks through the binoculars in the direction they came from.*

Zarek:<You're missing a pair.>

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*As it looks like every other one that has been seen lying about there's a good chance it is and she should probably get away before it blows up in her face. Or blows up her face.*

*She thinks she wishes she could groan in frustration without taking the risk of getting shot and peeks out. If the road is clear, she dashes down the hallway again.*

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Tae: <We're aware. Because you're stupid and your plan almost got some of us killed. And if something happens to Allina, or Taiyo, or Euryale, or any of us, I'm blasting your head off.>

*Hawkmon widens her eyes and turns to face Tae, shaking her head.*

Tae: <Shut up. Let's split in two groups and break in through the second floor since Euryale said that's where Allina is.>

Patamon: <Okay! I'm ready!>

*Tsune tugs on Quetzalmon's head to get her to stop. Once he does, she drops down. Shaking with rage & tearing up, she punches Zarek in the face.*

<You ass! You didn't tell us Puppetmon could control us! Euryale's right, you're more of a hinderance than a help! I HATE YOU!>

*Quetzalmon watches this all go down & sighs.*
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E"If I get taken over, I have to know that you can hold your own against me. Damn it, Gabu, this is for Taiyo! We have to do it!"

BlackGabumon:<I know, it's just... I can't attack someone on command.>

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Zarek:<I was unaware he could do that. What I know about him comes from these two and they didn't even encounter him. Terribly sorry, I should have done some rooting around on my own.>

*He goes back up the tree then drops down to the ground.*

Zarek:<My suggested plan called for a late night commando raid. Seemed like a good idea as we may have had the element of surprise, but with this startling new development, it is certainly not the way to go. All righty then. While you enter through the top, Ogremon, Panjyamon, and myself will enter through the first floor as we can't fly.>

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*The turn in the hallway takes her down an empty one which leads to what used to be the front hall. Where the door was is just a wall and an inactive ExTyrannomon in the corner.*

*Tsune sniffs & dries her tears. Quetzalmon puts a wing around her.*

"I'm...I'm okay. Let's do it."
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E"We have to practice for the real thing! Come on, punch me as hard as you can, anywhere you want!"

Allina: <(No!)>

*Allina takes out her Digivice in a desperate attempt to find other DigiDestined nearby before looking up the hallway to check on Puppetmon.*

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*Aquilamon takes flight after Tae, Salamon and Hitomi climb on her back. Veemon digivolves to AeroVeedramon and Razz and Patamon climb on his back. Razz turns to Tsune and Betamon.*

Razz: <Coming?>

BlackGabumon:<But...>

*He makes an incredibly awkward fist and swings punching Euryale in the shoulder. It barely qualifies as a nudge.*

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Zarek:<Good luck, kiddies.>

*The three run towards the manor and go around the lefthand side. Aurumon fly out of windows at the flying group.*

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Puppetmon:<Come out, come out wherever you are!>

*His voice is coming from somewhere on the floor. Her Digivice shows four signals nearby.*

*Quetzalmon produces a storm around the Aurumon, pelting them with winds, hail, & lightning.*
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"Come on, that isn't enough! Hit me harder! Like this!"

*She grabs his fist & curls the fingers tighter.*

"First, you have to tighten your fingers up. Then you have to hold your arm rigid & jab from your shoulder & knuckle. Now try again."

*She lets go.*

*AeroVeedramon shoots an energy beam across the group of Aurumon.*

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[They're here? They're her--Crap, he's here!]

*She runs up the hallway and opens a different door.*

BlackGabumon:<I don't have fingers...>

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*The Aurumon respond with their own lasers, the wind keeping them down, so they're firing all over the place.*

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*It's a dimly lit room with another television set. Sitting on a table are a collection of dolls that look like the group.*

*Quetzalmon hits them all with a bigass bolt of lightning.*
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"Well, whatever these things are. Can you tighten them at all?"

*She wiggles one of his nubby claw things.*

*She widens her eyes, closes the door behind her, runs to the dolls, and looks for any window in the room.*

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*Aquilamon dodges the lasers and rams through the group of Aurumon. AeroVeedramon swings his tale across them.*

BlackGabumon:<What about BlackAgumon? If we're both being controlled he's the only one to protect Taiyo.>

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*One Aurumon drops, dissolving into data as it goes. The rest fan out, one clawing at Razz's back as AeroVeedramon swings his tail at it.*

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*There are no windows and she hears doors opening and closing.*

*She gently grabs the BlackAgumon doll.*

[How do I do this...]

*She tries to picture BlackAgumon writing "I have the dolls, but he's coming. -Allina." on the ground with his claw to see if that works, all the time paying attention so she can put the doll back and hide behind the door if she hears Puppetmon outside.*

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*Razz drops down as Patamon tackles the Aurumon. AeroVeedramon speeds up after Aquilamon, Patamon holding on to his tail.*