“Well, whatever it was, it’s long gone now,” Lee said as Piximon floated out of the rapidly dissipating field. “That’s the fifth time something took out a digimon.” “It’s probably a digimon that’s about my size,” Piximon said as Raine and Shiisamon ran towards them through the fog. “With an insane amount of power.” “I searched the area, there’s no sign of the digimon.” Shiisamon said, shaking her head. “Did you get some readings?” Lee asked as he drew his thin jacket over his shoulders and blew into his hands. “A bit, but they’re so full of static, it’s hard to tell.” Raine frowned as she tapped the side of it and then smacked it once. A beep was heard as she nodded. “There. Just needed a jolt.” “You’re gonna break it,” Lee said. “Aw c’mon, when Carter builds things, it’s solid,” Shiisamon said. “He and the others are in Japan,” Piximon pointed out. “If you break it, you can’t get him to fix it. Besides, he said don’t call on the communicators unless it’s an emergency.” Raine looked at the watch like communicator on her wrist. It was decorated with red on the band and a red ring around the top. A watch was inset on the front as a speaker and microphone was attached to the top. “Someone is a closet MMPR fan,” she said with a slight grin. Lee shrugged, looking at his own watch, decorated in green. “It’s getting chilly. Let’s get home.” “Is there anyone else besides me who think that statements strange?” Shiisamon suddenly said, making Raine pause. “You know, that is strange. For Canada, it should be boiling out tonight. But it’s almost 10 degrees out here.” Raine frowned. “That is odd.” “Well, El Nido WAS a couple of years ago,” Lee said. “Maybe this is just an after effect.” “You must be right.” Raine sighed. “I’m going back home. See you tomorrow.” She and Shiisamon left as Lee and Piximon left as well. They never noticed that the trees above them had a number of frost covered branches, or that a figure looked down on them with an evil sneer. “Feh. Fools.” <><><> Digital Diaries : Adventures 2003 written by Shaun Garin you know the drill, owned by Toei, authorized by Archive. <><><> File 14 : Brainwaves “Going somewhere?” Raine asked as Gina rushed around the house, looking for her keys. “Yeah, Rick at the museum called. He said it’s urgent.” “I have a report to do on modern art,” Raine said. “Can I come along?” “Possibly, but I’m worried about the ‘pets’,” Gina said. “Did she just call us pets?” Labramon asked Chibimon. “Possibly.” Chibimon returned. <><><> “He’s just sitting there without a clue,” Rick said as he and Gina stood around the mindless researcher. “We found him standing over his work table, drooling.” “Someone went zombie,” Gina said in thought as she waved her hand in front of the brain dead scientist. “Did his attacker leave anything behind?” “Nothing really, save for this.” Rick held up a strange machine that seemed to be a scanner. “Lemme see.” Gina took it and paused. She then tapped the side of it and then struck it with a flick of her finger. The device lit up as it seemed to brighten and dim as she moved it around. “I think it’s some kind of locator.” “I never thought you could get something like that to work,” Rick said. “Picked up the trick from Lee’s Grandfather. He’s a very good martial artist.” Gina answered while playing with the controls. “Ah. So what does it do?” the bearded man asked. “It locates.” Gina moved around as the light dimmed and swelled. “That way.” The pair walked out the door and followed it through the lavish museum before stopping before a man with a set of thick glasses and a bit of a crazed look on his face. “Oh, you come to visit?” he asked. “Um, not really,” Gina said. She then turned to Rick. “Can I hold onto this? I may be able to work on it a bit.” “Sure,” Rick said. <><><> “So the thing points out people... but what’s the connection between Dr. Onishi and Dr. Stevens?” “Intelligence,” Raine said from behind her, startling Rick. “You said that Dr. Onishi is a genius and was working on deciphering some puzzle in the back room, right?” Gina snapped her fingers. “I remember now, I saw an episode of Big Guy and Rusty with this brain sucking monster. You think we’ve got something like that here?” “If so, we should keep on alert,” Raine said, folding her arms. “And I took the liberty of grabbing that puzzle.” Chibimon held up a golden box that had a bunch of pieces in it. “We should be able to solve this, and hopefully, lure out the one who was sucking out brains.” “That’s a cheerful thought,” Labramon grumbled as she peered at the puzzle. “Last we need is a big brain sucking alien breathing down our backs.” Raine took the box from Chibimon and picked up a piece. “I’ll start working on this. We may be able to attract it’s attention by trying to solve the puzzle.” “Give me your communicator,” Gina said, holding out her hand. “I’ll contact Lee and tell him to come over and keep watch over you. Might as well have backup.” Raine handed over the item. She sat down and pulled out a couple of pieces, fitting them together. After a few minutes, a knocking was heard at the door. “I’ll get it. You stay put.” Raine continued to work on the puzzle. “This isn’t as hard as it looks like....” She rummaged around the box and pulled out another piece, fitting it into the puzzle. It was slowly making an upside down pyramid. “I wonder,” Chibimon said from the table, “if the scientist was targeted for solving this puzzle, then why is it that whatever sucked out that guys brain hasn’t come here yet?” “I honestly don’t know,” Raine said. She frowned. “Gina’s been gone a while. Labramon, can you check on her?” “Sure.” Labramon scampered off as Raine picked up the final piece and eyed it. It had an Egyptian eye on the front. A cry came from the living room. “Trouble!” Raine and Chibimon bolted to the front door, the puzzle forgotten. There sat Gina, lying on the porch, apparently unconscious. Labramon stood over her, a worried expression. Raine snapped up her tricorder and began to scan. “Lets see..... heart rate, breathing is good....” she frowned. “Low alpha wave readings...” “What does that mean?” Chibimon asked, wringing his hands. “I think, whoever did this, put her in a coma,” Raine said. “But there’s no sign of a bump on her head.” “It must have been that alien thing!” Labramon said. “Look!” A gun like item was laying on the ground, the barrel broken from either an impact or a struggle. Chibimon ran over and picked it up. He scowled. “I know this gun.” “C’mon, lets get her inside.” Lee then pulled up on his bike. He took one look and dropped it, rushing over to Raine. “What happened?!” he asked. “I’ll tell everyone when we get her inside,” Chibimon ordered. No one was willing to circumvent his authority, even though he looked kind of silly with his arms crossed and a stern expression. After they had set Gina on the couch, Chibimon picked up the gun and literally bent it, startling the digi-destined and digimon in the room. “Vadermon.” “Vadermon?” Lee asked, checking his tricorder. “Computer, display files for Vadermon, active voice.” “Vadermon. Perfection Level. His attacks are Demon’s Kiss and Abduction Ray. Vadermon is a Virus digimon of the Alien type.” The Tricorder reported in the same soothing female voice Carter used for all of his speaking gadgets. “Geez, this Vadermon sounds like a real character,” Piximon said with a scowl. “Lets find him and hose him.” “First we have to find him first,” Lee answered. “Computer, locate any concentrations of physical data in a twenty five meter radius.” “Working....” the tricorder beeped as Raine frowned. “Why is it that Carter upgraded yours and not mine?” she asked. “Yours is as powerful in terms of scanning equipment as they come, he just added a voice to mine,” Lee answered. “Scan complete. Traces of digital information has been detected bearing vector 7-7-2.” “He’s headed for the University!” Raine said, checking the vector on her Digi-locator. “We’ve gotta stop him! Who knows what damage he could do.” “I know....” Lee paused in thought. “Gina’s out of commission so she can’t drive us.... Shiisamon could carry us but for how long?” “Well.... if we could attract it’s attention somehow.... but how will we do that?” “I don’t really know,” Piximon said. “I can fly ahead on point while you guys ride Shiisamon.” “Great, there goes my back,” the dog digimon grumbled as she walked out of the house and evolved in a cocoon of light into the gold and white digimon. Lee got atop Shiisamon as Raine adjusted Gina’s pillow. “I’ll be back sis,” she said as she headed to the door. Raine paused for a moment as she looked at the puzzle, still unfinished on the table. One last piece was yet to be placed in. The piece with the Eye of Ra on it. “Raine!” Lee called. “Hurry up!” “Be right there!” Raine went over and picked up both pieces, slotting the last piece in. It seemed to become solid as gold light sealed the cracks of the puzzle. “What the....” “Raine!” Lee called. Raine stuck the palm sized pyramid into her jacket pocket as she rushed out and leapt onto Shiisamon’s back. Shiisamon grunted. “Nice to see you taking my back seriously,” the digimon grumbled before taking off across the road and up onto the buildings. <><><> “I need more.” Vadermon wandered through the University, still holding a bag full of intelligence, knowledge, skills and other assorted personality traits of different humans he had encountered. “So many traits, I must expand my collection!” “Fairytale!” A series of rubber mallets flew out of nowhere, bonking the Vadermon on the head, making him wince and almost drop the sack. “Ouch! Who dares?” he demanded, spinning around. “I dare,” Piximon said, rapping him on the head with his staff. “Behind you brainpod.” “Abduction Ray!” Vadermon spun and fired his gun, the energy bolt spraying off of the hallway. “You missed. Mallet to the head.” Vadermon suddenly found himself imbedded in the wall as Piximon banished the 250 ton mallet he had conjured up. “Nice going Piximon, just don’t kill him,” Lee said as he dismounted from Shiisamon who glared at the alien digimon. “Okay.” Piximon floated back as Lee strode up to the prone digimon and grabbed the sack Vadermon was holding. “You’re gonna tell us how to return all of the intelligence and personalities you stole, or else.” “Or else what?” Vadermon leveled his gun at Lee who stepped back involuntarily. Vadermon pulled the trigger, and with a flash of light, it exploded in his hands. The alien digimon ran from side to side, howling in pain as his left tentacle had been blown off. “This is starting to hurt,” Raine grumbled as Vadermon hopped around in pain. Vadermon glared at the quartet as he leapt at Piximon with the intent to kiss. “Demon’s Kiss!” Piximon flew out of reach. “I don’t swing that way!” he shouted. “Bit Bomb!” Vadermon grunted but stood his ground as the bomb exploded against him. “Ha! I can take more than THAT!” “Damn. Shiisamon, get him!” The digimon leapt at Vadermon as Raine called out, “And try to keep the damage to a minimum, okay?” “Sure, make my job harder,” Shiisamon said as the spirits around her glowed brightly. “Tiidiya!” “Demon’s Kiss!” Vadermon latched onto Shiisamon and leapt away, his job done. Shiisamon shuddered, both from the kiss and the effects of the poisonous energy racing through her system. She slumped to the ground, Raine running up to her. “Shiisamon, are you okay?” Raine asked. “No... I feel terrible.... I’m sorry....” Shiisamon replied. “And now, I’ll do the same to the cute little partner of yours,” Vadermon said, advancing on the pair. “Not on my watch! Bit Bomb!” The Bit Bomb was swatted away into Piximon, who cried out as he was knocked into Lee, devolving back into the larger Sharmamon. “I’ll get him! Pop attack!” Chibimon let loose with a furry of bubbles which simply popped against Vadermon. With a quick lash of his tentacle arm, Chibimon was knocked into a wall and slid down in pain. “I’m so sorry, Shiisamon,” Raine said as she resigned herself to her fate. Vadermon reached out and grabbed Raine, prepared to use his deadly kiss when suddenly, gold and emerald light spilled out from Raine’s jacket. He dropped her with a cry as he backed off. “What?!” Raine dug into her pocket and withdrew the puzzle. It suddenly separated into four equal pieces as it revealed a emerald core within the center of the puzzle. “Wow,” Raine breathed before the gold and emerald glow surged forth into Shiisamon. “Shiisamon super-evolve!” Shiisamon howled as she vanished into the shadows. The creaking of rusty gates were heard as a huge shadow loomed behind it. Then, with a massive roar, the creature broke free, tearing the gates off its hinges as it charged out of the pits of hell. "Cerberumon!" Vadermon paled. “Oh shit.” “HELL FIRE!” Cerberumon howled as the world around them turned into a starry skies. Suddenly, a huge ball of flame lanced down and impacted on Vadermon. He was thrown back, badly burned. As Vadermon tried to get up, a huge forepaw came down on what passed for his chest. “You are going to give back those personalities and intelligence you took, or else.” “No way!” Vadermon shouted defiantly. “They’re mine! You can’t have them, you can’t STOP ME!” Cerberumon’s eyes flashed angrily. “Return them. This is your last warning.” “NO!” “Fine. Inferno Gate!” A blood red portal that was licked with flames suddenly irised underneath Vadermon, and he was pulled in, screaming as he was drawn in, never to be seen again. “Where did he go?” Piximon asked. “Where he belongs,” Cerberumon answered curtly. “Did you... kill him?” Raine asked. “No. Inferno Gate is just a big gate. Although he’s not going to enjoy where he went.” the dog digimon replied. “I see. You sent him to digimon hell, didn’t you?” Lee said, realizing what she just did. “You can call it that,” Cerberumon said with a smirk on all three of her faces. “I AM the guardian of the underworld.” Raine walked up to the bag and withdrew what looked like an overstuffed balloon. “How do we return these to their owners?” “Well, first we’d have to figure out which one is which... but that would take ages.” the four sighed as they looked over the task set before them. <><><> Gina’s eyes fluttered open as she sat up, a hand gently pressed against her chest. Lee blushed and withdrew his hand. “Sorry about that.” “What happened?” Gina asked. “You were attacked by a Vadermon. We took care of it,” Raine said. “How do you feel sis?” “Like someone just took out something precious and replaced it,” Gina replied. “Just rest,” Piximon commented as he punched buttons on the Tricorder. “you’re not up to full strength yet.” Chibimon hopped up onto Gina’s stomach as he sighed. “I’m sorry I wasn’t with you to protect you.” “That’s okay Chibimon,” Gina said. “You didn’t know. I’m not blaming you for not protecting me.” “I’ll go and make some soup,” Raine said, heading into the kitchen. “Are you going to be okay?” Lee asked Gina. “Yeah. Thanks for helping sis, Lee.” Lee blushed. “Not a problem.” <><><> “Fools. They don’t know what’s coming.” The figure smirked, revealing enlarged canines as it leapt away into the night. <><><> Authors notes : Oh well, this is going to be getting good. I’m going to try and finish DDA before Lord Archive returns to War Diaries and Red Digivice Diaries. It will help make a lot of sense later.