Old Ones Return (VI)

Azuma: "Do you not recall the Dark Area? You'd have to level the forest to fly. Why are you so adamant about going somewhere you'll be a burden?"

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She flinches as this is going to hurt. This is usually where the Deus Ex Machina saves the day.

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Loren: "Is she okay? Have they hurt her?"

Kentaro: "And the others?"

Mermaimon 3<The first offense is 10 lashes, though the Captain can add or subtract if she feels it necessary.>

*No Deus Ex Machina comes to save her. Mermaimon spins the whip around a couple of times to build momentum & then abruptly whacks her on her exposed stomach. The leather straps are bad enough, but the little bits of nail & glass on the ends are probably going to leave a mark. However, Taiyo does see that a tropical beach of white sand is coming into view, with an enormous seashell palace in the forest. It's quite colorful & pretty, if that is any consolation.*
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Beelzemon<Whoa. Looks like I came at a bad time.>

Reg<No, we'll be ready to go shortly.>

Beelzemon<Well, in that case, everyone comin' to the Dark Area, hop on.>

*He jerks his thumb towards the back of his motorcycle. Lopmon hops off, at which point its helmet dissolves into data & is absorbed into the bike.*

Lopmon<If your destination is Olympia, then I will take you there in the form of Cherubimon.>

*Thiera steps towards them, wringing her hands nervously.*

T"Um, excuse me, I don't mean to be rude, but--are you a boy or a girl?"

Lopmon<Humans ask me that question a lot. You may address me as you prefer. Will you be accompanying myself or Beelzemon?>

*Thiera looks at Beelzemon & frowns.*

Beelzemon<Hey, why the long face? Don't look at me like that, it's not like I'm gonna bite your head off, or anything!>

*Tiera jumps back either because he's loud or she's afraid he's going to scratch her with his claws because he keeps waving his hands around & pointing at her.*

T"Uh--s--sorry, Sir!"

Reg<And like we covered earlier, I guess I'm stuck swimming. Can't wait.>

*He stands by the water apart from the other 2 & folds his arms, flicking his tail in an agitated fashion.*
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<The others are believed to be most likely responsible for Kurata's defeat! As for Shikasu Taiyo's situation, we've been sworn to honesty, Ma'am--we're afraid they gave her a severe beating, but they don't seem interested in killing her! Last we saw before we mysteriously lost contact, she was tied to the ship's mast!>

*The Rakshashis look at the Shikasus' undoubtedly shocked faces. Mrs. Rakshashi & the Psyches approach them, looking sympathetic, but the Aquas are busy brooding in the back. Mr. Rakshashi steps forward.*

Mr. Rakshashi<Well, then, why are you sitting here telling us!? Don't you have a squad to send in, or something?!>

<I'm afraid not, Sir! The most we could do is attempt to send a message to her friends!>

Hideki looks at Cyberdramon who is the same as Lopmon and may or may not be getting impatiant by the lack of violence.

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She can't see if because her eyes are closed as she tries not to cry while calling out to Renamon.

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Iori holds his wife as they're apparently swarmed by vultures.

Mr. Alla: "And? Are they in the same predicament?"

Lyra:<Thiera's probably right, I'll go to the dark area.>

*She and Kotemon walk over to stand near Beelzemon, while Kylie and Cameron hug goodbye, then Kylie heads over to Lopmon*

Kylie:<Aww, you're so cute!>

*Renamon can neither hear her nor move to help. Mermaimon covers Taiyo's mouth & continues administering the lashes. Taiyo also hears a series of pounding noises. If she could see, she would know that some of the Mermaimon have stopped what they are doing to stare with grim satisfaction at the punishment, the noise being the sound of them slapping their tails against the ship. Others, however, slink away into the lower decks or awkwardly pretend to be very interested in inspecting the woodwork.*
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*Lopmon sighs & shakes its head.*

Beelzemon<Alright, if you kids are finally ready, hop on! And hold on tight.>

*Beelzemon revs up his engine.*

Ts"Aren't we all forgetting something? That last battle did a number on us, half of our Digimon can't Digivolve."

T"That shouldn't be an issue. I'm sure they can rest, eat, & heal along the way."

Ts"But Gomamon IS the way, we're depending on him to get us to the Southwest Sea & fight off anyone along the way."

Baihumon<That matter is easily remedied.>

*Tsune & Thiera jump because they forgot about Baihumon hanging out on one of the larger islands. One of the Digi Cores flies off of him & hovers above Gomamon.*

Baihumon<This should be enough to re-energize you?>

G<...Are you sure? You look like you're missing a few. What if you need this more than I do?>

Baihumon<Worry not. I am still more powerful than your average Mega. I may be wounded, but this is the risk that I mus take to protect the Digital World.>

G<Uh, okay, if you insist....>

*Gomamon reaches out to touch it &, in a flash of light & a crackle of electricity, he digivolves to Ikkakumon.*

G<Amazing! I feel good as new! Better, even!>
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<No, Sir! We are not precisely sure what they are doing, but they do not appear to be in danger!>

*Mrs. Rakshashi bows her head & murmurs that she is very sorry. Being dumb Americans, Mr. & Mrs. Psyche place their hands on the shoulders of Mr. & Mrs. Shikasu, respectively.*

Azuma: "Wouldn't it make sense to send someone that doesn't rely on a weapon to fight?"

Hideki looks at Cyberdramon then Angewomon & MagnaAngemon then Azuma.

Hideki: "You want me to go to the Southwest Sea?"

Azuma: "Cyberdramon doesn't have to try and shoot a bow or swing a sword if fighting under water."

Hideki: "I guess that makes sense...."

He looks to the others for some sign of protest or assurance.

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Tears begin to build up under Taiyo's closed eyes.

Don't cry. If you cry, you--

A single tears falls down her cheek, followed by another.

Lose.

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Loren: "Isn't there something you can do to save her?"

E"No, we can't have an angel-type Digimon going to the Dark Area, it would be too big of a target. DemiDevimon is only okay because she can move around as Wizardmon or LadyDevimon, only taking her Mega form as a last resort."

*At this moment, a data stream blasts out of the sky & impacts the ground nearby. Everyone tenses & moves away from it, but Euryale pulls out her D-Power when the D-Powers start beeping. She holds it up to the data stream, at which point she receives a map & a fuzzy image of Taiyo being whipped by a Mermaimon.*

T"...What do you want to do?"

E"How can you even ask that? Of course I want to go save her."

*She closes her eyes, which have started to mist up, tightly.*

E"But I can't. She's too far out of the way, & if we don't deal with Jupitermon, he could start ANOTHER war on top of the one we're already in."

*She looks to Regulumon, Tsune, et al., trying to keep her eyes & voice steady.*

E"You're--you're the only ones who can help her. I have to--to trust you."

*Regulumon nods. Tsune crosses her arms tighter than usual, almost shivering, & avoids eye contact with Euryale.*

Ts"You're--ah--really putting me on the spot, here. I'm--a lot newer to all of this than you are."

Ikkakumon<Of course we can do it! Just try thinking positive, Tsune.>

*Lopmon approaches Euryale & grabs her hand.*

Lopmon<I'm sorry about your friend. I know how hard it is when duty & compassion pull you in different directions. Do whatever you think is right, & I shall help in any way that I can.>

Beelzemon<Well, we can't help anyone if we just sit here twiddlin' our thumbs all day, so don't go startin' another argument over this! Say your goodbyes, make it quick, & let's go! It's like you humans say, "actions speak louder than words!">
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<The message has already been sent, Ma'am! We'll keep trying until we can get through, & keep attempting to re-establish communication with the Hypnos satellites!>

Mr. Rakshashi<You're sending children to do your dirty work!?>

IL<It's not his fault. Without Hypnos Labs, they have no way to get into the Digital World. And even if they could, who would they send? Everyone who left Kurata is here escorting us. Besides, you should know better than anyone that your children are not children anymore. You'll just have to trust them.>

*Mr. Rakshashi looks at him & frowns slightly.*
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*Mermaimon stops whipping Taiyo & removes its hand from her mouth, rubbing her shoulder instead.*

<It's almost over, human. We just have to sanitize the wounds, then we'll take you to our Masters.>

*Another Mermaimon slithers over with a big bucket of seawater sloshing between her arms.*

*Cameron gives Euryale a thumbs up*

Biyomon:<We'll free her!>

*Lyra heads over to Beelzemon, looking her up and down*

<Well, we're ready.>

*Kylie looks like she might want to pick up and hug Lopmon, causing Lunamon to look annoyed*
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Mr Sorenson:<There's the ones with the digimon. They'll be careful.>

As making one's own decisions is a Big No, Azuma stands by the group going out to sea.

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Taiyo doesn't open her eyes. And even if she did, the trauma is probably enough to blind her.

OOC: Never heard of trauma-induced blindness, except if "trauma" is defined as physical damage to the eyes or brain.

*Of course, that Mermaimon douses Taiyo's stomach in salt water, making sure to get it in all of the wounds. Meanwhile, the other Mermaimon removes her hand from Taiyo's shoulder & begins untying her.*
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*Euryale clenches her fists at her side & gives a bow in excess of 90 degrees.*

E"Thank you."

*Meanwhile, Ikkakumon splashes into the sea.*

G<All aboard!>

*Regulumon promptly hops on. Thiera nervously climbs onto the bike behind Beelzemon, with DemiDeimon perched on her head. She tentatively grabs his jacket.*

Lopmon<We can depart once the others leave, for then I shall have the space to Digivolve.>

Kylie:<You're really cute Lopmon!>

*She grins while Lunamon looks really pissed. Lyra gets in behind Thiera, while Cameron and Biyomon get on Ikkakumon'*

Azuma climbs on the walrus. This must be an enormous motorcycle if it can fit Beelzemon and two people maybe even more, so Hideki presumably climbs on.

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Taiyo falls to her knees, hunched over and crying as soon as she's untied.

*She is eventually grabbed by the upper arms & the ropes around her ankles--setting off the sunburn on her feet, arms, neck, & shoulders--& carried off like you might carry a couch into a house. Soon after, she hears a new voice, much like those of the Mermaimon--which it now occurs to her had only minor differences in pitch--but louder & somewhat deeper.*

???<Is this what they would call a Tamer or a Bio-Hybrid?>

Captain Mermaimon<Most likely a Tamer, Lady Ancient Mermaimon.>

???<I see. You had some trouble with it.>

Captain Mermaimon<Basic insubordination, but she seems to be broken in now.>

Ancient Mermaimon<So, in your assessment, is pain an effective motivator to get her to comply with our demands?>

Captain Mermaimon<It is possible. Anecdotes from all over the Digital World suggest that the Digivolution occurs when the human partner is threatened. But unless we can link her device to one of our soldiers, no amount of beatings will have any effect.>

Ancient Mermaimon<Vademon should be willing to study the device. I will now hear any objections to this plan. This includes you, human, but know that pleas for mercy will only be considered if they make our Digivolution more likely, & I will not tolerate secrets or lies.>
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*The Behemoth roars off, apparently going fast enough to ride right over the surface of the water.*

Beelzemon<Alright, kiddos, listen up! There's a cave a few miles away that leads to the Dark Area! A lot's changed since you were there last! I'm still not sure 'bout the details, but we think MaloMyotismon is back in charge! Don't know if we want that! Don't know if Mervamon or Bagramon are any better! Bagramon was some nobody 'fore he digivolved, but take it from me, a guy gets a bit of power & has somethin' to prove, there's no tellin' WHAT he might do! And Mervamon was a follower of Lilithmon! Maybe she'll want revenge, maybe she'll want to give you a medal, I dunno!>
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*Ikkakumon also sets off once everyone is on his back.*

Ikkakumon<Where does that map say Taiyo is?>

Reg<Lemme see it.>

*Regulumon snatches up Tsune's D-Power before it is offered to him & mashes at the buttons.*

Reg<Stupid thing, prob'ly busted--wait, there it is. Looks like she's right where we need to go. In fact, I'd bet my mane that Neptunemon had her captured in the first place. Either that or his lady. Must want her as a bargaining chip.>
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*With the other groups gone, Lopmon sighs & shakes her head again.*

Lopmon<Please stand back. I will need space in order to Digivolve.>

Cameron:<Bargaining for what?>
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Lyra:<So who are we going to go see?>
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*Kylie moves back*

Hitomi stands back.

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Taiyo: "I want Euryale."

Ancient Mermaimon<What in the world is a Euryale?>

Mermaimon 3<I beg your pardon, Lady Ancient Mermaimon, Captain, but I don't think that theory is right. We've actually had more reports that they use CARDS to Digivolve. And unless stress is the most important factor, in my opinion, I don't think we can risk breaking her. I'd hate to admit it, but the Bio-Hybrids are still beyond our ability to defeat, & it stands to reason that these Tamers are even more powerful than they are. We were lucky to stumble across one who was unable to fight back. We may not be so lucky again.>

Ancient Mermaimon<Hm. Very valid points.>

Captain<Lady Ancient Mermaimon, we searched her belongings & did not find any Digivolution card.>

Ancient Mermaimon<Do we even know if this one is capable of Digivolution?>
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Reg<Neptunemon was MegaSeadramon's right fin before Kurata snatched him up & he became the metal monstrosity we just killed. According to him, he's entitled to not just the area he's fled to now or MegaSeadramon's old domain, but all of the new territory that was conquered while MegaSeadramon was a Bio-Hybrid. So he prob'ly wants to use Taiyo as leverage to ensure that he gets as much territory as possible from the peace treaty, which of course we need to amend, thanks to Jupitermon bein' a jackass.>
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Beelzemon<What?! Yer gonna have to speak up!>

D<She asked which one we're gonna meet with!>

Beelzemon<Oh! Dunno yet! Depends on what offers they make!>

D<Ooh, what kind of offers?!>

T"DemiDevimon, don't be greedy!"

Beelzemon<Y'know, like "we'll let you pick the meeting spot" or "we'll give you something we can't risk losing to prove we won't attack you!">
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*As promised, Lopmon is bathed in light & grows into Cherubimon Virtue. When she speaks, there's a bit of a reverberation, as though a chorus of soft voices are singing along with her.*

A<Hm.>

Cherubimon<Is something wrong?>

A<Well, I was kind of hoping you'd become Cherubimon Vice. Cherubimon Virtue looks sort of weird.>

Cherubimon<...We should make haste.>

*She starts to float off of the ground, & offers her arm to them.*

*Kylie and Lunamon get on, both grinning*
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Lyra:<I see...>

*She looks very unreassured*
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Biyomon:<So we need to free Taiyo quietly?>

Azuma: "Doesn't sound possible."

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I suppose Hitomi climbs aboard the cherubim.

Reg<Sounds like a bunch of nonsense. Why should we sneak around? She's ours, we should just waltz right in & take her.>

Ts"Why did Baihumon send you to negotiate again?"
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*As mentioned previously, they come up on a cave jutting out of the water.*

Beelzemon<Let's just hope no one's waitin' to ambush us!>

*He rides in & turns on the headlights, showing that they are now rocketing down an almost 90 degree tunnel, Beelzemon regularly avoiding very large rocks jutting out of the ground. Thiera proceeds to start screaming, which is not helped by DemiDevimon yanking on her hair to keep from being blown away. Eventually, they fly off of a ramp high over the forest of the Dark Area, to see that nearly half of it has been cleared away, mostly around the castle. Of course, that still leaves miles & miles of forest. They also realize that this is not the same Dark Area, because the castle is much bigger & made of wrought iron, featuring a huge dome & gates, & many spiral towers. The mountain it is sitting on is also a semi-active volcano, pouring lava flows down into the moat below. The smoke coming off of it stifles the moon & stars, so the world outside of Beelzemon's headlights is pitch black.*
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*Cherubimon scoops up Agumon & Euryale & flies off.*

A<Wait, doesn't this lead back to Lady Venusmon's Sanctuary?>

Cherubimon<Yes, Lady Venusmon was one of the Olympiads.>

A<We can't go there, it's been overrun by--!>

Cherubimon<I'm very sorry to interrupt you, but I've already heard about Lady Venusmon's tragic end. Eventually, we'll be turning north, partly to avoid Kurata's minions & partly because the Olympiads are spread very far apart anyway.>
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AncientMermaimon<Considering what I have been told, we will see if Vademon can determine that the Renamon-species you captured is capable of Digivolution. In the mean time, the human is far too valuable to put in a standard cell, where other Digimon criminals may be able to get to her. You may place her in a royal cell or solitary confinement, at your discretion.>

*Since Taiyo has yet to open her eyes, she does not see the Mermaimon bow, but she certainly feels them carting her off to the dungeons.*

Azuma: "He's loud and intimidating. Good enough when tact isn't an option."

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Taiyo does not resist.

Cameron:<We can't start a war with Neptunmon.>
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*Lyra and Kotemon hold on tight, Lyra coughing up a storm*
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Kylie:<That makes sense, since Venus is the roman goddess of love!>

Reg<Hey, HE started this fight, I'M just finishing it!>

G<There must be SOME way to get Neptunemon to listen to reason. Why don't you just let him have some of the territory he wants? Who's using it right now?>

Reg<We'd like the waters to go back to the Digimon that MegaSeadramon took them from in the 1st place.>
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Mermaimon 4<Will you put her in solitary, Captain? She can't escape if she can't even move.>

Mermaimon 3<I don't think such cruelty is necessary.>

*Taiyo speeds up as the Mermaimon swim down some kind of spiral water slide sort of deal. The increased swaying starts to put a serious ache into her shoulder & hip joints. They then continue to slither across a dark stone corridor filled wall-to-wall with barred cells, Digimon within literally clawing at the bars & screeching at the Mermaimon.*

Mermaimon 4<Cruelty?! Have you forgotten what humans like her did to the REST of our crew?>

Mermaimon 3<Of course not, how dare you! But it isn't as though these are the same humans! Lord Neptunemon & Lady Ancient Mermaimon BOTH consider the Tamers to be potential allies!>

Captain<Enough. Neither of you should be letting your emotions influence your performance. And you're also forgetting that we need to monitor her, in case she becomes sick, or tries to self harm.>
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T"WE'RE GONNA CRASH!"

*Beelzemon pulls out a pair of guns & starts shooting tree branches. Finally, he blows out part of the tree near the roots so it begins falling, creating a makeshift ramp that they begin to ride down amidst a torrent of leaves & twigs.*

D<Is all of this really necessary!?>

*Just as they're about to slam into the bottom of the next tree, Beelzemon kicks out his leg, resting it against the trunk. After they come to a stomp, Thiera falls on the ground & throws up while DemiDevimon starts rolling down the hill.*
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*Sure enough, they turn north when a plume of smoke comes into sight. But it proves not to be enough when Cherubimon's ears twitch & it narrowly avoids a series of lasers fired at it with surprising speed & flexibility.*

A<There's CannonBeemon coming out from behind the smoke!>

Azuma: "Doesn't sound like Neptunemon would be okay with that."

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Hideki and Monodramon get off, not exactly keen on the whole experience being so damn loud.

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Hitomi lets go of Salamon who Digivolves to Angewomon and begins shooting arrows at the totally unlike actual bees mon.

Cameron:<Who was that?>
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*Lyra falls down and lies still, Kotemon beside her*
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*Lunamon digivolves to Crescemon and fires ice arrows at the bees*

Reg<What? There are a ton of Digimon who live in the sea.>

Ts"Looks like you can ask him yourself."

*She points to where a pod of 5 Whamon are emerging from the sea in a V-formation, with Neptunemon "standing" on the head of the lead Whamon. Around the Whamon swim several Mantaraymon, swimming back & forth between the pod members to some unknown end.*
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OOC: In retrospect, DemiDevimon & Impmon have very similar personalities. You also think Impmon is evil, Canadian?

Beelzemon<Hey, get up, ya lazy bums! We gotta go find your friend. He shouldn't be off on his own.>

T"DemiDevimon is...actually a girl...."

Beelzemon<Yeah, whatever. Just quit heavin' & get movin'.>

*Thiera starts to stand.*

T"But, ah...?"

Beelzemon<Yeah, what? Spit it out, already!>

*Thiera jumps.*

T"What about the motorcycle!?"

Beelzemon<Don't you worry 'bout Behemoth, it can take care of itself.>
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*The Cannonbeemon were hoping for a successful ambush. Being no match for the much more maneuverable Digimon, they are destroyed in short order.*

Cherubimon<Are you okay? I didn't make you nauseous, did I?"

"...No. I already was."

*Agumon smooths out her hair. Over the mountains on the horizon, a sprawling city of gold towers comes into view, with architecture much like the structures in Venusmon's Sanctuary, only bigger & more numerous, & with lightning rods on top of the tallest towers. The most peculiar trait, however, is a series of 3 enormous crimson rings over the city, which the cumulonimbus clouds float in & amongst.*
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*As they lead her further along, the dungeon floor gradually begins to turn & slope downwards. Eventually, the cells are replaced by large red clams that are big enough to stuff a human inside. The Captain taps a clam with her anchor, & when it opens up, a Pukumon, much like the one that attacked Taiyo, is scrunched up inside of a translucent pearl, completely frozen in time. As it slowly begins to close, she moves on to the next one, which opens to reveal that it's empty, save for the clam's giant purple tongue.*

Mermaimon 3<So have you decided on solitary after all, Captain?>

Captain<I'm just making sure that a cell is available, though I guess it is decision time.>

*She leans over to inspect Taiyo, running a gloved hand along her back & poking her stomach, before testing the tightness of the ropes. She then grabs Taiyo's chin & forehead, turning her face this way & that before forcing her mouth & eyes open to peer inside. Even if she couldn't before, Taiyo definitely sees the Pukumon & the empty clam now.*