| Chapter Twenty-three: The Male of the Species Seems to Know the Digiworld Better |
| �Eaglemon, are we there yet?� Salamon asked. �I only have short legs. They�re hurting!� �No, be more patient.� Eaglemon replied. �Eaglemon!� Salamon moaned. �When are we gonna get there?� �I don�t know!� Eaglemon exclaimed, turning to her and flapping his wings in frustration. �I could swear by the eight gods that you�ve been complaining for the last half hour!� �What�s your point?� Salamon asked, cocking her head to the side. �Gah!� Eaglemon blurted out, briskly turning and marching ahead. Salamon giggled and Onomon and Slipmon approached her. �Salamon�� Onomon spoke. �Do you do that deliberately?� �Yep.� She said, smiling. �It�s fun pissing him off. Besides, he likes the attention. He has a major crush on me.� Slipmon laughed. �Yeah, he just loves the way you bite his wing�� Salamon leaned over to Slipmon and whispered. �I think Onomon likes me too.� �What?� Onomon asked, upon hearing his name. �Nothing!� Salamon lied, looking at him and smiling. �This is juvenile�� Onomon stated. �So?� Salamon challenged. �You have the most juvenile Digidestined!� ��True.� Onomon admitted. �Except, maybe, Eaglemon�� �You see Slipmon?� Salamon shouted excitedly. �He�s trying to impress me by saying his Digidestined is better than Eaglemon�s�� �What�s the point of arguing over whose Digidestined is better?� Onomon cried in frustration. �You�re right.� Salamon admitted, before smiling with pride. �Everyone knows Andi is the best.� �You�re so full of it�� Slipmon commented, shaking his head. �What you guys talking about?� Okamon inquired, approaching the three. �Salamon�s love life.� Slipmon informed. �Oh, sounds interesting!� Okamon said. �Only in her head.� Onomon chipped in. �That�s so rude!� Salamon gasped. The other three all laughed. �Hey�� Slipmon spoke, once he had stopped laughing. �Where are Moosemon, Bubbomon and Slythamon?� �Well, Moosemon�s with Darren and Bubbomon�s with Sam.� Okamon informed. �Slythamon is with Bubbomon.� �What?� Salamon mumbled. �Romance between a snake and a little bubble Digimon?� �Look who�s talking, miss Every-Digimon-in-the-Digiworld-loves-me!� Slipmon mocked. Salamon turned to him and smiled. �It�s not my fault.� �Yo, moose!� Moosemon cried as he approached Eaglemon. �Where we headed?� �Let�s get one thing clear.� Eaglemon replied. �You�re the moose. I�m an eagle!� �Whatever, fussy moose! Where we headed?� �Cincomon�s castle!� Eaglemon screamed. �Dammit, where have you been for the last day or so?� �Alright, calm down, Eaglemon!� Moosemon consoled, putting his hands up. Eaglemon slumped his shoulders apologetically. �I�m sorry, Moosemon.� He said. �I�m just concerned about Kerri. What if Cincomon does something to her?� �He can�t. He�s here.� Moosemon reminded him. �True�� Eaglemon trailed off, before turning back to him. �You know, you�re not as dumb as you look.� �Thanks! I think?� �So you think it�s one of the Digimon?� Tim asked, looking at Darren. �It must be!� Darren shouted. �I mean, all of us are leaving, being captured, and only the Digimon are left!� �So Cincomon is Slythamon?� Khalid summarised. �No.� Sam said simply. �No?� Khalid repeated, looking at him. �From looking at the way she acts around Bubbomon�I don�t think Cincomon could fake that.� Sam informed. �But Sam, we�ve narrowed it down to Eaglemon, Slythamon and Moosemon.� Tim argued. �We know it wasn�t Eaglemon or Moosemon!� �Adrian, you�re the one with the Crest of Knowledge, what do you think?� Khalid asked, turning to him. �I think Sam has a point.� Adrian answered. �Cincomon wouldn�t act normal like that.� �I�m confused.� Darren admitted, putting his hand on his forehead. Suddenly, a net came out of the woods and surrounded Adrian. He screamed and struggled to get out of the enclosure. Onomon heard the scream and immediately turned. �Onomon Digivolve to�Katonomon!� Katonomon slashed at the net with his claws, but to no avail. He did, however, succeed in getting his claws tangled up in the net. The net was pulled back into the woods slowly. The rest of the Digimon ran into the woods. �Don�t worry guys, we�ll find the source!� Okamon informed. �Hurry up, guys!� Katonomon cried, pulling the net in the opposite direction. Suddenly, the net seemed to be pulled into the woods by a much more powerful force than before. This force completely caught Katonomon off of his feet and propelled he and Adrian into the woods. �Bullet Rain!� Commandomon�s voice screamed, before the Digidestined heard some shots being fired. The boys looked at each other and ran into the forest, but were knocked back when their Digimon, including Onomon, and Adrian were propelled into them. Tim was holding Onomon in one arm and Okamon in the other. Onomon looked up at him weakly. �Tim�� Adrian�s Digimon spoke. �What is it, Onomon?� Tim asked. �Are you okay?� �Tim, I know who it is�� Onomon said weakly. �I know who Cincomon is�� �Who?� Tim asked, interested. But alas, Onomon had fainted. �Adrian!� Khalid shouted, holding Adrian. �You alright?� �What�s wrong with him?� Darren asked, weakly crawling over to them. �Ugh�Uh�� Adrian groaned. Khalid looked at Adrian�s chest. His crest was glowing black. �Damn! Not Adrian too!� Darren said. Then, the trees parted, and Commandomon appeared, pointing a gun at the group. �Digidestined!� Commandomon cried. �Now it�s time for you all to die!� �No it isn�t!� Okamon said, standing. �Bubbomon! Moosemon!� �Yep!� Bubbomon agreed. �Bubbomon Digivolve to�Tridemon!� �Okamon Digivolve to�Shocamon!� �Moose Spray!� Moosemon shouted, spraying a powerful current of water at Commandomon from his mouth. �Buzz Shocker!� Shocamon cried, electrifying the water. �Trident Flame!� Tridemon added, firing a string of flames from his trident at Commandomon. The ultimate-level Digimon was a little taken aback by the attacks but swept them away and regain his composure. He laughed. �You Digidestined seem to be more pathetic every day!� Commandomon mocked. �We�ll see.� Slipmon stated, standing. �Slipmon Digivolve to�Hereticmon!� �Huh?� Commandomon grunted, before Hereticmon�s fist connected with his face. He stumbled. �Darkness Grenades!� Hereticmon shouted, throwing balls of dark energy at Commandomon. These hit the foe and exploded, but eventually he overcame his shock and started batting them away with his rifle. �Gah!� Commandomon grunted, standing up and hitting Hereticmon in the chin with his rifle. Hereticmon went flying back. �Now you die!� Commandomon cried, aiming his rifle at Hereticmon�s chest. �Bullet�� �Salamon Digivolve to�Gatomon!� �Lightning Claw!� Gatomon shouted, scratching Commandomon�s face. Commandomon screamed in shock and shook himself rid of the feline Digimon. He aimed his gun at her instead. �Die! Bullet Rain!� Commandomon screamed, firing a spray of bullets at Gatomon. The cat Digimon ran up a nearby tree, using her agility to dodge the bullets. Hereticmon backed away from Commandomon; he could see Gatomon had a plan. �Bullet Rain!� Commandomon repeated, firing more bullets at Gatomon. The cat Digimon leapt to the lower half of the trunk of each tree, before jumping another tree. Commandomon stood in the middle of the trees, shooting at her, while the rest of the group moved out of the way. Gatomon continued to use her acrobatic skills, jumping from tree to tree, never stopping, and bouncing off of each tree. After a while, she stopped and stood in the middle of the trees, right in front of Commandomon. The foe cockily aimed his gun at her and laughed. �Ha! You surrender!� �Timber!� Gatomon cried, jumping away, as Commandomon noticed the shadows on the forest floor around him moving. Looking around, he noticed that the trees were falling onto him! He screamed as eight thick tree trunks crashed down on top of him. Gatomon jumped back to the rest of the group and groomed behind her ears with her paw. �Hey, well done, Gatomon!� Shocamon stated. �His bullets weakened the trees around him. Good plan!� �Tridemon? Hereticmon?� Moosemon called, looking at the two. �Got it! Darkness Grenades!� Hereticmon�s volley caused the pile of fallen timber to collapse even more than it already had. �Trident Flame!� Tridemon�s flames set the pile of timber and vegetation alight. The Digidestined stood still, silent and solemnly for a few minutes, before turning and moving on from the flames. �Commandomon died the death of a soldier, I guess.� Gatomon stated. �If becoming a marshmallow is the death of a solider, I wanna become a soldier.� Slipmon spoke after returning to his rookie form. �Cool! Can I eat you?� Moosemon asked. �No.� |
| After the Digidestined left, the burning rubble began to shake. Commandomon pushed his way out of the rubble, forcing the alight timber aside. He roared loudly and stared blankly in the direction the Digidestined had travelled. �Commandomon Digivolve to�� |
| �Hey, I was able to Digivolve!� Salamon cried excitedly. �That must mean Cincomon�s castle is nearby!� �Quite so!� Eaglemon claimed. �In fact, it�s here.� �What? Really?� Salamon shouted, even more excitedly. �Yes.� Eaglemon informed, pushing some bushes aside and showing the group the building behind. �Well, let�s go.� Shocamon said, beginning to walk out towards the castle. �Wait.� Slythamon objected. �What is it?� Shocamon asked, turning back to her. �Wouldn�t it be wise if we rested and ate first?� She asked. �This is a big battle, after all.� �Good idea.� Shocamon agreed, lying down. �Someone should stay on guard.� �I�ll do it.� Slythamon accepted. �Slythamon, I�ll do it if you want.� Tridemon offered. �No, it�s alright. You get some sleep.� She answered, smiling at him. �Okay�� Tridemon trailed off, and with these words the entire group fell asleep. |
| (Author's Note: In the next chapter, you find out which member of the group is Cincomon in disguise. Can you guess who it is? If you get it right, give yourself a pat on the back. What? You want a prize? Hey, I'm not Mr. Moneybags.) |