Let's reach 600 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
Gatomon, usually so graceful, is now a furry, furious missile coated in sewage.
"I can't believe that overgrown tadpole actually dodged me!" she snarls through the Digi-Link, and her voice is starting to get scratchy from how mad she is. "He's gonna regret that!"
I check the Digivice map, my fingers drumming impatiently against the screen. "Alright, Gatomon, this tunnel should lead to an exit. Keep pushing him north. There's a manhole cover near the plaza. If we can get him topside, we got him."
"A manhole?" she echoes, "You're planning to ambush him? Seriously?"
"Hey, a win is a win, right?" I say, trying to keep my tone light. "Besides, you're the one covered in muck. I'm just offering a strategic advantage."
"Hmph," she huffs, but I can hear the determination in her voice. "Fine. But you owe me big time for this, Kepler."
"You got it," I promise. "Now, go, go, go!"
The next few minutes are a blur of frantic movement. I direct Gatomon through the maze of tunnels, each turn bringing her closer to the designated manhole. Gekomon is proving surprisingly nimble, weaving through pipes and dodging her attacks with infuriating ease.
"He's slippery, I'll give him that," she pants, "But I'm faster. He can't keep this up forever."
"Just keep the pressure on," I urge, "He's almost there. I can see the exit on the map."
Up above, in the bustling plaza, Agumon and Gabumon shift nervously. I materialize out of the side of a trash can. The smell of sewage is overwhelming.
"Ugh," Gabumon gags, pulling his Garurumon pelt tighter around him, "Did you say something about strategic advantage, Ethan?"
"Don't start," I say, pinching my nose. "Just be ready. Gatomon should be pushing him out any second now."
"Brother Agumon is ready," Agumon declares, puffing out his chest, "This Gekomon will know the meaning of pain!"
I grin, my anxiety easing. "That's the spirit, Agu. Let's get this over with."
We take position around the manhole cover, each of us poised and ready to pounce. Agumon cracks his knuckles, Gabumon sharpens his claws. Even I stretch my arms in preparation. Any minute now.
Then, with a deafening screech of metal on metal, the manhole cover clatters to the side.
Gekomon bursts out of the sewer, blinking in the sudden sunlight, the expression on his face a mixture of relief and confusion. He freezes when he sees us.
"Surprise!" I yell, lunging forward.
Agumon and Gabumon are on him in an instant, their attacks swift and decisive. Before Gekomon can even croak a protest, Agumon slams into him with a Heavy Strike, sending him sprawling. Gabumon follows up with a sharp Claw Strike, pinning him to the ground.
"Gotcha!" I shout, grinning triumphantly. "Looks like your little swim came to an end, buddy!"
Mission accomplished. Gekomon captured. Now, to get Gatomon out of that sewer.
I reach down and help her out of the manhole. I can see now just how much she's been affected by the muck. Her pristine, white fur, now more of a questionable brown, and who knows what else. I shudder to think.
"Oh, geez," I say, trying not to laugh. "You look like you took a bath in a chocolate factory... that exploded."
She glares at me, her ears flat against her head. "Very funny, Ethan. Just get me cleaned up. Now!"
From the System storage, I summon a couple of those large water containers and a bottle of disinfecting spray.
"Alright, hold still," I say, trying to keep her from squirming. I pour the water over her, watching the grime slide off in rivulets. Then, I liberally apply the disinfecting spray, coating her fur in a cloud of fresh scent.
"I swear," she grumbles, shaking herself like a wet dog, sending droplets flying, "You better buy me the fanciest toy for this."
I pat Gatomon on the head, making sure she is mostly free of sewage. She's one of my first Digimon partners, so she's got a special place in my heart. She perks up at the affection, her mood obviously lifted by the praise.
With Gatomon relatively clean, I turn my attention to the frog dude pinned under Agumon and Gabumon. I raise my Digivice, ready to send him back to the Digital World and be done with this whole smelly affair. That's when everything goes to hell.
Suddenly, a series of sharp gunshots echoes from nearby. Then, a sound that makes my blood run cold: a savage, earth-shattering roar, like a wounded beast in agony. I hear the sickening thud of bones hitting walls, followed by the wet, crunching noise of bodies being pulverized.
"What the actual hell was that?" I ask, spinning around, trying to pinpoint the source of the chaos. I wonder if there is another Digimon messing around, but these sounds... this felt different, more raw.
Before I can even formulate a coherent plan, the wall of a nearby building explodes outward, sending chunks of concrete and debris flying in every direction. A massive shadow looms in the newly created opening, silhouetting an impossibly large figure.
My jaw drops. The light is blocked, but I can still make out the shape. It's enormous. Muscular. And green. Really green. I see wild, matted hair, glowing green eyes, and teeth bared in a feral snarl. He is at least eight feet tall and his muscles are the size of boulders. The little clothing on him is torn.
"The Hulk?!"
Of all the rotten luck, I had to stumble into him here? I try to not show how scared I am. He's not inherently a bad guy, right? Just misunderstood with a slight anger problem. I figure, maybe, just maybe, I can talk my way out of this.
"Alright, big guy, easy now," I say, raising my hands in a gesture of peace. "We're not enemies here. I'm just trying to... help out the neighborhood, you know?"
But before I can even finish my pathetic attempt at diplomacy, Gekomon does something monumentally stupid. The frog, still pinned under Agumon and Gabumon, emits a series of incredibly high-frequency noises from the trumpet-holes in his tongue. The sound is almost inaudible to me, but I can see it affecting the Hulk.
His eyes widen, his muscles tense, and he clutches his head, growling in confusion and pain. The noise is messing with his head. Combining with his rage, he loses it and is in frenzy.
The Hulk looks at me and my Digimon, his eyes burning with rage. That's when I realize that whatever control he had is gone.
"You stupid frog!!!" I yell, scrambling back, "Run!!!"
***
Donate Power Stones to support this novel
Advance chapters in patreon.com/Najicablitz