I peek over the edge of the building across from Tombstone's penthouse, adjusting my Digi-Goggles. The Digi-Camo is doing its job—hopefully, I'm just another shadow in the night. The penthouse glitters with an ugly kind of money, all floor-to-ceiling windows and smug architecture.
"Lots of guards," I mutter. "Taking them out quietly would be easy, but it'll set off alarms for sure."
Gatomon nods, her blue eyes narrowed. "Indeed. Direct confrontation would alert Tombstone, compromising any element of surprise."
BlackGatomon scoffs. "Surprise? Who needs surprise? We should just smash through the front door and show him what's what."
"That's insane!" Gatomon retorts. "We need a plan, something subtle—"
"Subtlety is for losers," BlackGatomon snaps back. "Besides, what's he gonna do? We got this."
I consider my options. A full-frontal assault is stupid, but it's also...appealing. And after last time, I have full confidence in BlackGatomon. "We can't jack into this place. The cybersecurity is next level." I shake my head. "Alright, I'm with BlackGatomon on this one."
Gatomon's jaw drops. "Ethan, are you serious?"
"Relax, Gatomon. Even if Tombstone bolts, the Digivice will track his location. He can't hide." I grin, feeling a rush of adrenaline. "Let's do this."
BlackGatomon struts forward, her tail held high. "Ha! See, Gatomon? Sometimes you just gotta kick down the door!"
"Don't get cocky," Gatomon grumbles. "We don't even know what awaits us."
We hit the penthouse doors hard, splintering the expensive wood. Alarms blare to life, and the guards react fast.
"What the—?!" one of them shouts, fumbling for his gun.
"It's the cat guy!" another yells, recognizing me from the previous hits.
BlackGatomon laughs, a wild, thrilling sound. "Cat guys, plural!"
Gatomon and BlackGatomon move with blinding speed. Gatomon's 'Lightning Paw' connects with one guard's chest, sending him flying into a nearby marble table. The table shatters, and the guard crumples to the floor, groaning. BlackGatomon spins, claws extended, and slashes another guard's weapon in half before delivering a swift kick to the gut.
"He's fast!" a guard yells, firing wildly.
I take cover behind an overturned chaise lounge, dodging bullets. The guards are armed with automatic weapons, and while the Digi-Camo makes me difficult to target, it doesn't make me bulletproof. Two guards charge my position. I roll out from behind the chaise, grab one guard's arm, and use his momentum to flip him over my shoulder. He lands hard, his head hitting the floor with a sickening thud. The other guard swings his rifle at my head. I duck under the blow and slam my fist into his jaw, sending him staggering back. He raises his gun again, but I'm faster. I grab a decorative katana from the wall and disarm him. I drop the katana and the guard falls unconscious.
Gatomon elegantly evades a hail of gunfire. "These fools are poorly trained!"
BlackGatomon's cackles echo. "Yeah, they're all bark and no bite!" She dodges and weaves, a shadow of fury, each strike precise and brutal.
"Hold the line!" a guard shouts, trying to rally his comrades. "Tombstone's counting on us!"
But their morale is crumbling. They're outmatched, outmaneuvered, and terrified. Gatomon and BlackGatomon are a whirlwind of claws and fury. And I'm not exactly helpless either. I pick up a discarded handgun and fire, hitting another guard in the leg. He goes down, screaming in pain. The tide has turned. We're winning.
The sounds of fighting echo through the penthouse, growing louder. I know Tombstone must be close.
I follow the Digivice's signal deeper into the penthouse, pushing past the last of the unconscious guards. Gatomon and BlackGatomon flank me, their senses on high alert. We reach a massive office, all dark wood and leather furniture.
Behind a wide desk sits Tombstone. He looks completely unfazed, sipping something from a crystal glass. The office feels like a bad guy cliché.
"So," Tombstone says, his voice a low rumble that seems to vibrate through the room. "You're the one who's been interfering with my operations recently." He puts the glass down with a soft thud, like he is a teacher disappointed in my performance.
"That's right, Tombstone," I say, flashing a winning smile. "Though, to be fair, I'd say I'm greatly interfering. Did you like the weapon shipment falling on your goons? How about the books at your betting house going missing?"
A flicker of something that might be amusement crosses his face. "Impressive. I didn't think some punk could find me, let alone mess with my organization like this. And with…cats, no less." He says 'cats' like it's the most insulting thing he can think of.
"Hey, hey, we prefer 'Digimon'," BlackGatomon interjects, bristling.
"Yeah, show some respect," Gatomon adds, her tone sharp.
I raise my hands in a placating gesture. "Alright, ladies, let's try to keep things professional, shall we? Tombstone, here's the deal. You can either surrender now, or my partners here are going to make you wish you'd never heard of the word 'crime'."
Tombstone stares at me for a long moment, his red eyes burning into mine. "Why are you doing this? Money? Power? Revenge?"
I shrug. "Nah, none of that. I'm just here to take you down. You're bad for the neighborhood. A menace."
He lets out a dry, humorless chuckle. "You think you can just waltz in here and defeat me? A kid and his pets?" He rises from his chair, his height intimidating. "You've made a mistake, kid."
"Maybe," I reply, my voice unwavering. "But I'm betting I'm right. Gatomon, BlackGatomon, let's show him what we're made of."
Gatomon and BlackGatomon leap forward, their claws extended, ready to strike.
But something appears.
A shadow, massive and distorted, moves behind Tombstone. It grows larger, taking shape, until it towers over him.
A hulking figure emerges from the darkness. It's muscular, with a snarling face and a bone club clutched in its massive hand. Ogremon.
With a roar that shakes the penthouse, Ogremon swings his club, knocking Gatomon and BlackGatomon away like they're ragdolls. They slam into the wall with a sickening thud, then slide to the floor, stunned.
My eyes widen in shock. This is not how it was supposed to go.
***
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