"Jaenryu!"
"Get back, Verge!"
You leap away despite the screaming protests of your wounds, crashing back first into a series of branches as you break through the treeline. It's just in time too, as less than half a moment later, as fiery construct in the form of a massive dragon consumes the whole area you'd been standing in, annihilating the grass and burning a massive hole into the sod below it.
A many-tailed purple beast digimon flashes by you, it's eyes glowering with a vaguely familiar disdain before tackling the wounded Dinohumon. Its prehensile tails bind the enemy champion up and hoist him onto its back.
Huh? Is-is it helping me? Or- no, that attack was so...
"No! I'm so close! Let me go at once!"
The humanoid champion struggles to break free, but his foe(?) effortlessly keeps him in check. Moments later they vanish deep into the forest, leaving you hurt, dazed and confused. It takes you a few seconds to realize the fight is over, but once it hits a sigh of relief rises out from your throat… or at least it tries to. However the only sound that actually comes out is yet another gurgle.
Darnit! Right, he cut my throat! Spirits above, I can't believe this happened again!
You wince as the many pains which had been suppressed flare back to prominence, and move on to holding your largest wound. The stream of data flowing free has fallen down to a trickle, but even that little flow has a constant weakening effect. That combined with your slit throat and massive number of chest lacerations leave you feeling weak and exhausted. If you have to do any more fighting you have no idea how you'll handle it.
Sparks and Centarumon peak down at you from the ruined Locomon car, both looking heavily singed (likely from that beast digimon) but very much alive. You take a step towards the steep hill-then scream as your body ripples with energy.
You're not sure what's going on. You've felt like this before but it's a hundred times more intense now. Your flesh writhes and ripples as a dim light shines through your skin. Then the wound on your side
explodes; a huge cloud of shimmering data bursts out of you, turning the world onto its side.
"Nonono! Verge!"
Consciousness returns a few moments later along with near-blinding pain. It's hard to move - your body feels so weak, even moving one paw is a desperate struggle that takes your full concentration. Upon moving your neck to examine the injury you can't help but shudder. What looks like a combined full quarter of your torso is just gone, having just leapt off your body and wandered away.
This… it really hurts.
"
Feel Heaven's Wrath. Fire Feather!" Pidmon screams from the sky, his voice booming with power. The trio of retreating Bakemon he was chasing don't even have time to scream before the barrage of holy flames rips into them, leaving nothing more than shreds of charred cloth. He raises his weapon up in triumph and begins to shout something, but before he can even start to gloat or praise his Lord, a blast of lightning hits his back, making him cry out in pain and shock.
What… Sparks, why would he...
The champion wheels about towards the ruined train car, his face set into an angry scowl of surprise.
"Get down here now!" Sparks screams, his voice free of the strange vocabulary that normally plagues his statements.
"Verge is hurt!"
I… I can heal myself, right?...
Your mouth opens up, but air you try to suck in goes right back out your open neck.
Oh right. My-my throat.
"By the Lord! What happened to him!"
"Don't talk angel! Heal him now!"
"Right!" The champion vanishes between blinks, and in the next moment you feel a shadow blocking the sun from shining into your eye.
"Mega Heal!"
One second everything feels fuzzy, like the entire planet is under a haze of pain and fatigue, then the next holy energy wipes everything away. You gasp, eye widening in sudden understanding as Pidmon yanks you back up onto your feet.
"Th-thanks..." you murmur, wobbling on your feet. At this point you're getting over near-deletion experiences almost depressingly quick.
"Hyuk, Hyuk! No problem my dear friend and comrade! The power which the Lord has invested in me is meant for tasks like this!"
I almost, again… no don't. Don't think on it. Who was that and why… why did he hate us?
You search your memories for an answer, but nothing comes to mind. Sparks slumps over with relief from where he's standing, while Centarumon lets out a mechanized snort and turns away to inspect his carriage.
Centarumon, Sparks, Pidmon. Where are the others?
The answer to your question appears moments later as Beat walks out of the forest with… Ardat? Slung over his shoulder. The Witchmon doesn't seem to be aware of her surroundings, and is instead just babbling incoherently about
"Cool magic". While normally that wouldn't be particularly odd, the fact that she's just repeating the same sentence over and over again is a bit concerning.
"What uh, happened to her?" You look at Beat for answers, and the Stingmon looks like he wants to groan in embarrassment. Which automatically puts you on edge, considering that he almost never emotes like this.
"
... her opponent called a time out. Then said he'd show her some cool magic if she looked into his eyes." Beat grunts, flinging the babbling champion down beside you and Pidmon.
Why does the first part of that sentence seem familiar?
"Do not worry friends! I shall fix this! Mega Heal!" Pidmon's wave of energy flows out once more, bringing Beat's armor back to full integrity and wiping away the minor burns on Ardat's body. Un(?) fortunately, it doesn't fix whatever the enemy had to to your friend's mind.
"Heh" Sparks chuckles, sliding down the hill.
"Mayhaps she finally lost her mind? 'Twould not be a surprise by any means." He's joking but a small, very traitorous part of your mind is worried that it might be true.
"All of you!" Centarumon shouts from the top of the hill, his voice annoyed but filled with an edge of gratitude. "I have deemed your assistance satisfactory. In fact, you have my thanks for keeping those cretins away from me. All of you have more worth than I suspected in my initial assessment, even the Drimogemon."
Huh? W-why'd he single me out?!
"Now, chop chop, come with me. We must go see what was done to stop Locomon."
That sounds… alright I guess?
===
As it turns out, the Ultimate digimon pulling the cars is completely undamaged. Though the living locomotive is incensed, roaring angrily with its horn as it struggles to get free. Rather than attacking the Ultimate directly, your attackers seem to have mucked up the rails using some sort of high strength, fast-drying epoxy. The goop has now locked the Ultimate in place, as it can't do much more than shake angrily and blow its horn.
You can't help but wonder why the enemy forces bothered to use this method instead of just attacking the tracks or Locomon directly. When you actually voice those thoughts however…
"Keh" Centarumon scoffs, derision clear even in that minor sound. "Drimogemon, the railways and Locomon are of incredible importance to the economy of most City States. Quite obviously, they allow easy trade and passage between areas of the digital world on a scale that otherwise does not exist. It might be hard for a low-class mon like yourself, but try thinking on the matter: what would happen to those who hurt that network?"
"It ah… would be bad?" You venture, which only causes the cyclops to glare down at you with disdain. Trying not to shrink back, you swallow and then continue. "It would umm…" You cough, closing your eye to focus solely on the question. "It would disrupt trade by forcing cargo into longer alternative routes and force digimon to travel through the dangerous wilderness!" Your detractor's single eye blinks once in surprise before he nods.
That was right? Yes! You were right Verge!
"Well, yes." Centarumon admits, sounding a little surprised. "However, Drimogemon, there is more to it."
"Really? Like what?" You question; fear forgotten as curiosity takes hold.
"Hmph, there is much you do not know, and explaining it all would be a waste of my valuable time. However I will deign to inform you of the basics." You tilt your head at his words, more than a little confused, but he continues on. "Most importantly, the rails upon which we travel are not property of the City States, but rather belong to the Locomon Union; A small but powerful organization comprised of the scores of sapient Locomon and their handlers."
Scores of Locmon like… More than forty? But-but isn't Locomon an Ultimate? How could there be so many…
"Every group and faction uses the network in some capacity, with the larger ones depending on it almost solely to ferry supplies from location to location. While some may have a few select Locomon loyal to their cause, losing support from the union as a whole would be a massive blow to any one faction's operations. Aside from the crucially important aid which comes from their running supplies across the world, the threat is not only a logistical one. Locomon, despite their reliance on tracks, are still ultimates. When angered they can cause vast quantities of damage. Indeed, to make matters more dire the Union's leader is a GrandLocomon, a Mega-Class digimon who needs not even use rails to move."
"Wow, but… Is one mega-level digmon really that much of A- umm, a threat?"
"Keh, just one can slaughter entire armies of champions and take on entire platoons of Ultimates. Not even a mountain could stop GrandLocomon; it would just smash right through. Their anger is not something any group wishes to earn." Your mind struggles to comprehend the kind of power the slaver is describing.
E-entire armies! Like-like hundreds together! That's that's….
In the end you get a headache, and simply try to stop thinking about it for now.
As soon as the rather unpleasant conversation has ceased, the champion orders your party to scrape away at the rails in order to free Locomon up for the next leg of your journey. With Ardat incapacitated and Beat being… himself, it's left up to you, Sparks and Pidmon to actually get to work. The next few hours are spent in pleasant (for you) manual labour; scraping, or in Sparks case blasting, the dark hardened gunk off the metal rails.
It takes a while for Ardat to come back to her senses, and at first she's confused about where the *fantastical* and *amazing* magic went. Then when Sparks tells her what happened, the champion's face flushes a bright red and she runs off without another word.
You're a little worried about her, but Sergeant Scratch arrives with her another hour later. Your commander is once again wounded, with pieces of his armor stabbed through and his visible flesh covered in cuts, but if that bothers him at all, he doesn't show it. The Mistymon wastes no time in summoning a line of rolling fire that scours the Locomon and rails free of the remaining epoxy. Seeing him accomplish what would be hours more work in just a few seconds is a little annoying, but the others are just happy to be finished.
After that, the Ultimate is forced to disconnect Centarumon's car from the line, shove it down the hill, then hitch the nearest ones together in order to close the gap. This task actually causes your leader some strain, but the sight of him moving dozens of loaded cars, even across rails, is amazing and more than a little scary in your eyes. Unfortunately with Centarumon's car gone, your squad if forced to once again take refuge in the cargo containers, which are far less comfortable.
Locomon starts moving again shortly thereafter, and as the day draws on, you can't help but dwell on the champion that tried to delete you. The fact that someone could hate you that much is terrifying and more than a little sickening.
However, the most distressing part is that you have no idea who he is, or if you've ever met him before. Though how he called you beast is... somewhat familiar, like you'd heard the term before somewhere.
===Verge Has Finished Frame Reinforce. The Next Spell He Learns Will Be: (Choose On)
[] The more powerful healing spell: 0/16
[] Muscle Burst: 1/12
[] Hasten Burst: 1/12
[] Tandem Body Burst: 1/18
===Stat/Skill Gains:
Training: 4 strength points, 4 Fortitude Points, 1 Endurance point, 2 Spirit, 2 Special
Extras: 1 Fortitude point, 1 Agility Point
Bonus Points: EnduranceX2, Fortitude, AgilityX2, Strength,
Points:
5 Strength
6 Fortitude
3 Endurance
3 Agility
2 Spirit,
2 Special
Strength: 262.00->263.5
Fortitude: 244.25->247.50
Endurance: 222.50->225.50
Agility: 206.00->208.00
Special: 231.00->233.50
Spirit: 190.50->192.25
- Digging: 24/100->25/100
- General Fighting: 31/100->32/100
- Basic High Programming: 29.25/100->31/100
- Grappling: 4/100->5/100
===
Authors Note: Changed how the stat increases work to save time and be less messy. I'm lumping it all together to be less messy; then rounding at the very end. Beta'd by @TempestK
