Old Ones Return (VI)

Ornismon:<Who the hell's that?>

Cyberdramon: "An enemy?"

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Taiyo yelps and squirms because they have a funny way of showing they don't mean her any harm.

E"When the Bio-Hybrids are destroyed, the human half falls out, remember?"

T"So what do we do?"

A<Well, we obviously have to capture him.>

E"Hold on, he has a gun, but nowhere to go. Let's do this carefully."

*Down below, Yesod breaks into a run & jumps into the ocean, blowing a smoke bomb over the water to try to cover his escape. Agumon uses an ice blast to trap the smoke in a block of ice before it spreads too far, & then flies after.*
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Mermaimon<So it's the hard way, huh? Have it your way.>

*They pull her hair some more & one swings its tail into her stomach, winding her. Once she's too weak to struggle, they pin her to the ground, where they finish tying her wrists & ankles & move up to her knees & elbows.*

Cyberdramon flies off because maybe that enemy won't be such a chump. And Cyberdramon ain't about taking prisoners.

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Taiyo: "Renamon....wake up."

*Dianamon flies down and dives into the war, attempting to grab him. Crusadermon and Ornismon follow close behind*

*Dianamon just splashes around, & he's dove deeper, so nobody can see where he's swimming.*

A<He has to come up for air, doesn't he?>

T"Maybe. Or maybe, since he was selected to fight naval battles, he brought a re-breather with him, just in case he was defeated."
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Mermaimon 1<How IS the Renamon, anyway? Is it going to die?>

*A Mermaimon slithers over to Renamon, peering at her.*

Mermaimon 2<Hmm...probably not.>

Mermaimon 1<Well, don't take any chances. Stabilize her, but keep her paralyzed & force her into the Training stage. Then get a cage. As for the human, just tie her to the mast.>

*So the Mermaimon produces a first aid kit & bends down to start working on Renamon while another bunch of Mermaimon hoist Taiyo up & carry her to the mast, where they begin looping ropes around her calves, thighs, & under her chest.*

Cyberdramon growls, displeased at the idea of an enemy escaping. Probably because it's weak and therefore a waste of time.

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Taiyo: "What are you doing to her?!"

*Dianamon flies out of the water*

Ornismon:<Hey Gomamon, no chance you can get him, right?>

G<If I could still Digivolve, maybe.>

Baihumon<There is no need to pursue him to the detriment of the mission. My messengers should be arriving on that island shortly, to take you to your destinations. I shall remain here to continue watching over the sanctuary. It appears as though I will also need to find a new method of transport to & from it. The Whamon stayed with us until their entire pod was no more--we may never be able to repay their sacrifice, but we shall also never forget.>

*Regulumon swims over towards the island.*
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Mermaimon 1<I just said what we were going to do. Sheesh.>

*That Mermaimon slithers over to the steering wheel. The Mermaimon working on Taiyo tighten & knot all of the ropes.*

Mermaimon 3<She sounds so upset, now I feel like a bad guy.>

Mermaimon 1<It can't be helped, we have our orders.>

*Mermaimon 3 moves around Taiyo, checking the tightness of the ropes by seeing how many fingers she can fit in the gaps, regardless of how awkward it is.*

Mermaimon 3<Well, this should be tight enough without hurting you. Just don't move too much, or else you'll get rope burn.>

Mermaimon 1<Hey, you'd better not fall for that trick where she says the ropes are too tight, or asks for some seemingly innocent fabor that she uses to escape.>

*At that, the Mermaimon around Taiyo disperse, picking up mops. It turns out that the pails of water are to enable them to spread water over the deck. A few Mermaimon grab ropes to unfurl the sail, & Mermaimon 3 injects Renamon with something. Her hair gradually stops shedding.*

Everyone goes towards the island, in the arms of various monsters.

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Taiyo: "What are you going to do to me?"

*All three megas fly towards the island*

Mermaimon 3<Can we answer that?>

Mermaimon 1<I suppose it wouldn't hurt anything.>

Mermaimon 3<Okay. Our mistress, Ancient Mermaimon, wanted us to find a lone human to take back home. She's going to see if you can be used to make other Digimon Digivolve, like you do for that Renamon.>

*She points over with her tail, where Mermaimon 2 uses the same syringe to withdraw data from Renamon until she turns into Viximon, then tosses the syringe overboard. After mopping up the deck, some of the Mermaimon head downstairs.*

Mermaimon 3<If you cooperate, you won't be hurt. You can also ask for favors, like water, but like our Captain said, don't try any trick-the-guards-into-freeing-me shenanigans.>
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*Upon landing, Euryale gets off of Aumon & stares out over the water & Thiera looks around, DemiDevimon lounging in her arms & looking all wilted. Regulumon helps Tsune & Gomamon out of the water.*

T"...I suppose it was pretty naive to think someone would come to get us right when we were done with the fight."

E"Yeah. The Digimon should probably conserve their energy."

*So Agumon shakes off his modifications.*

G<Okay, so who's going where?>

D<You're going to make me & Thiera go to the Dark Area, aren't you?>

T"The correct grammar is 'Thiera & I.'"

D<Oh, whatever.>

Azuma: "Does it matter who goes where?"

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Renamon being tortured does not make her feel any better. Quite worse actually.

*Everyone reverts to tamer and rookie*

Lunamon:<We'll go to Olympia!>

Lyra:<I'll just do whenever.>

*She shrugs her shoulders*

*Tsune rolls her eyes.*

Ts"Of course it matters, we have to know what we're doing, can't have everyone trying to go to one place, or Lyra go missing because nobody knows she's supposed to be with them."

T"Well, Jupitermon won't tolerate you, & I'm not sure we'll be much use out at sea."

D<How many of us ARE any use in the water?>
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*The Mermaimon come back with a cage that's barely bigger than Viximon. After stuffing her inside, they lock it, then take it to one of the masts to tie it down. Taiyo quickly notices that it is quite hot without any cloud cover.*

Azuma: "That's not rhetorical, right?"

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Taiyo squirms, trying to tug at the ropes if she has any leverage as Viximon's condition is a good way to get an animal rights group on their ass.

Lyra:<I meant that I don't think there's a particular place I should go...I mean we.>

*She looks at Kotemon, who gives her a thumbs up*

E"Tsune has to go to the Southwest Sea, that much is pretty clear. You'll also need comrades who can swim relatively well, in case she gets disabled."

T"Well, if we're going to the Dark Area, then I don't think we should take any other angel-types. It might make us a target."

*As they're talking, they see a small wave on the horizon, a characteristic pattern that suggests something moving in the water towards them.*
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*Meanwhile, in the living world, Whamon eventually surfaces & opens its mouth wide, letting in the moonlight. One of the Hypnos boats pulls up alongside it.*
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Mermaimon 3<Please don't struggle. You'll probably just get rope burn, & if you DO make any progress escaping, I'll have to flog you & give you a stronger prison. It won't be fun for either of us.>

*Taiyo's exertion is indeed digging at her exposed flesh, combined with the effects that the heat & light are already having on her.*

Azuma: "So that leaves, a dinosaur, a bird, a dragon thing--"

He counts on his fingers as he lists them off.

Azuma: "A knight, and....I feel like I'm missing something."

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Taiyo: "Then why hurt us if you don't want to?"

Lunamon:<Biyomon and Cameron should go to the Dark Area.>

*Cameron looks from her to Kylie*

Mermaimon 3<I didn't say I won't if I have to.>
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E"A big, bulky knight wouldn't be much use in the water, & from what I remember, the Dark Area is mostly filled with trees, making flying difficult. So perhaps Cameron & Biyomon should go with Tsune, Gomamon, Azuma, & Patamon to the Southwest Sea. I can go with Kylie, Lunamon, Hitomi, & Gatomon to Olympia. Leaving Thiera, DemiDevimon, Lyra, Kotemon, Hideki, & Cyberdramon for the Dark Area.*

T"Aren't the angel Digimon--well, for lack of a better word, interchangeable?"

E"I think that whatever Patamon is could probably swim better than a cat."
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*Some asshole gets on a Megaphone.*

<Attention! Can you hear me?! We have an update from the Digital World!>

Patamon looks at his stubby legs or would if he could see them then Gatomon's not at all stubby legs.

Azuma: "Yeah, it'd be better if I had something that could turn you into a mantaray or something."

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As there's no reasoning with these sadists, Taiyo just wiggles her hands about hoping to grab on to the rope.

Cameron:<We can't swim though. I mean, Biyomon can't become a penguin or something.>

Lyra:<Knightmon can fly and he's better shaped to swim so we'll go to the Ocean. Angewomon should probably come with us too, she looks like she could swim better.>
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Mr. Sorenson:<What's the news?>

*Thiera looks at Kotemon.*

T"How--"

*She shakes her head.*

T"Nevermind. It still doesn't change the fact that Ornismon would be extremely limited in the Dark Area, which lacks an open sky."

*At this time, whatever is in the water leaps out, landing behind them with enough force to shake the island. They hear a mechanical growling, & when the dust clears, it turns out to be a Beelzemon. Behind him, a Lopmon clutches him around the waist, with a helmet much like the one Wendigomon wears.*

Beelzemon<Okay, kiddos, we don't have all day, so I hope you've decided who goes where.>

Reg<So I take it you want me to lead them into the sea, then?>

Beelzemon<I don't care what you do, it was Baihumon's idea.>

Reg<As the girl said, most cats don't like to swim.>

Beelzemon<But you can do it, can't ya?>

*Regulumon grumbles.*
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Mermaimon 3<Don't do it right in front of us!>

Mermaimon 1<That's it, teach her a lesson. We're almost at the palace & I won't tolerate insubordination.>

Mermaimon 3<Well, you heard the Captain's orders. Sorry, I didn't want to do this, but you left me no choice.>

*As she speaks, she withdraws a cat o nine tails from her pack. Meanwhile, over the horizon, a large structure with spiraled & domed roofs is coming into view.*
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<We have a confirmed visual on Shikasu Taiyo. She--appears to have been captured by--mermaid pirates. Kurata's forces have not been pursuing, which may be attributable to their naval forces suffering a major defeat at the same time.>

Cameron:<We can also destroy some trees if we need to.>

*Kotemon looks at Thiera and shrugs*