Let's reach 200 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
"Alright, everyone," I shout over the din, "remember the plan! We need to calm him down, not make him angrier! No overkill!"
DarkTyrannomon roars, charging forward. His claws rip through the air. "Dark Nail!"
Minotarumon follows, his Demon Arm raised high. The mechanized limb glows with a menacing energy.
"Earthquake Drill!" he bellows, slamming the arm into the street.
The street shakes, but Hulk just stands there. He is not impressed.
DarkTyrannomon slashes at the Hulk, but the claws just scratch his skin. Hulk barely seems to notice. Minotarumon's shockwave barely fazes him. This guy is a tank!
"Greymon, back him up!" I yell.
Greymon charges forward.
"Nova Blast!" he roars. A massive fireball erupts from his mouth, slamming into the Hulk's chest.
Even that doesn't stop him. The Hulk roars, swatting Greymon aside like a fly.
"Garurumon, restrain him!" I shout.
Garurumon circles the Hulk, a blur of blue fur and sharp teeth. He barks, and then, blue flames erupt from his mouth.
"Fox Fire!"
The flames wrap around the Hulk's legs, but the Hulk just shrugs them off, taking a step forward as if nothing happened.
"What the hell is this guy made of?" I mutter under my breath.
BlackGatomon and Gatomon leap into the fray, darting around the Hulk's massive legs, claws extended.
"Lightning Paw!" BlackGatomon shouts, slashing at the Hulk's ankles.
"Cat's Eye!" Gatomon intones, her eyes glowing with a hypnotic power.
The Hulk stumbles, momentarily disoriented by Gatomon's gaze and BlackGatomon's claws, but he shakes it off and roars, grabbing DarkTyrannomon by the tail.
"Oh, crap," I say, watching as the Hulk spins DarkTyrannomon around like a ragdoll before slamming him into a building.
DarkTyrannomon hits the wall with a sickening thud, scales scattering across the street. The building groans. That cannot be good.
Before anyone can react, the Hulk grabs Minotarumon, hoisting him into the air like a child's toy. Minotarumon struggles, swinging his Demon Arm wildly, but the Hulk just ignores it, slamming Minotarumon into the ground.
The earth cracks beneath the impact, and Minotarumon lies there, groaning.
"Greymon, get in there! Now!" I shout, seeing our front line crumble.
Greymon charges, tackling the Hulk. They grapple, trading blows. But the Hulk is just too strong. He grabs Greymon, lifting him above his head.
"This is not going to end well," I say.
He slams Greymon down, sending shockwaves through the street.
"Damn it!"
I can't believe how easily the Hulk is handling them. DarkTyrannomon and Minotarumon are powerful Champion-level Digimon.
This is not working. We're just making him angrier.
"Everyone, fall back! Fall back!" I yell. "We need to change tactics!"
The Hulk is too strong.
This isn't a fight we can win through brute force. I have to think. There's got to be a way to reach him, to snap him out of this rampage without escalating things further.
But how?
Then it hits me. It is a long shot, a seriously stupid idea, but it is the only one I have got. If it works, great. If it doesn't... well, we are all screwed.
"DarkTyrannomon, Minotarumon, Greymon, Garurumon!" I yell, "I need you to do something crazy! I need you to try and hold him down! I know it is going to hurt, but I need you to try for one minute!"
I can see the doubt in their eyes, but they know I am not messing around. They are beat up, but they are going to trust me. I appreciate that. I just hope I am not leading them to their doom.
"Do it!"
With a roar, DarkTyrannomon and Minotarumon charge again, followed by Greymon and Garurumon. This time, they are not attacking. They are trying to grapple him, to restrain him. It is like trying to hold back a freight train, but they are giving it everything they have got.
DarkTyrannomon and Minotarumon clamp down on one arm, while Greymon and Garurumon grab the other. The Hulk roars. His anger is surging, the ground trembles. I can see their muscles straining, their claws digging into his skin, but it is barely slowing him down. One minute. I just need them to hold him for one minute.
I quickly open the Digi-Modify app. I need to boost Gatomon and BlackGatomon, but I need to be quick. I scroll through my cards. Come on, come on... There! Two Strength Plug-in W. Perfect. Now, where are the Speed Plug-In? There they are! Two Speed Plug-In H. Okay, this is it.
I tap the screen, targeting Gatomon and BlackGatomon. A surge of energy flows through them. I can see them glowing, their eyes widening as their power increases.
"Alright, ladies," I shout, "time for a little tough love! Give him the biggest smack you have ever given to anyone!"
They grin, a predatory glint in their eyes. They know what to do. They are my partners, after all.
With a burst of speed, Gatomon and BlackGatomon dart forward, weaving through the chaos. The Hulk is starting to break free. He manages to get one of his arms free, swatting DarkTyrannomon aside. He sees Gatomon and BlackGatomon coming, and his eyes narrow. He is going to try and stop them.
I have got to do something. He is going to kill them.
I sprint forward, ignoring the pain in my legs, pushing myself as hard as I can. I have got to get there in time. The Hulk is winding up for a punch. It is going to crush them.
I dive in front of Gatomon and BlackGatomon, raising my Royal Shield just as the Hulk's fist connects.
The impact is like getting hit by a truck. Every bone in my body rattles. My vision blurs, and I can feel the Royal Shield cracking, splintering under the force. But it holds, just long enough. I survived.
"Go! Now!" I yell, spitting out blood.
Gatomon and BlackGatomon hesitate, seeing me getting rekt, but I glare at them.
"I am fine! Go!"
They nod, their faces grim, and resume.
With a renewed resolve, they launch themselves at the Hulk. This is it.
They reach his head, and then, they both unleashed everything.
"LIGHTNING PAW!" x2
Two simultaneous smacks connect with the Hulk's head. It is a combined force of amplified strength and speed, delivered with pinpoint accuracy.
The Hulk's head snaps to the side. He roars, a sound of pure confusion and pain. His eyes roll back in his head. He is sent flying, crashing through the air.
He slams into a nearby building, and the whole structure shakes. Dust and debris rain down.
The silence that follows is deafening.
We all stand there, tensed, waiting to see what happens. Did it work? Did we actually manage to reach him? Or did we just make him even angrier?
The building groans, and then, with a shudder, the Hulk stands up. He looks around, his face a mask of confusion. He rubs his head, as if trying to clear his thoughts.
"Where... where am I?" he mutters, his voice low and rumbling.
He looks at his hands, flexing his fingers, then looks at the destruction around him. His expression shifts from confusion to horror.
I breathe a sigh of relief. It worked. Somehow, it worked.
He looks at me, then at my Digimon. He is wary, cautious. He sees the damage, the chaos we have caused. He knows we are dangerous.
I raise my hands, palms open, trying to show him that I mean no harm.
"Hey," I say, my voice trembling slightly, "it is okay. We're not going to hurt you. Just take a step back too."
He studies me, his eyes searching mine. I try to project sincerity, hoping he can see that I am not his enemy.
He seems to see something in my eyes, some kind of truth. After a moment, he nods slowly.
"Okay," he says, his voice still rough, but less angry now.
Then, with a final glance at me and my Digimon, he turns and leaps away, bounding over buildings, disappearing into the distance.
I watch his figure fading, until he is gone. I let out a long, shaky breath.
"That... that was insane," I say, my voice barely a whisper.
Gatomon and BlackGatomon rush to my side, their faces etched with concern.
"Are you okay, Ethan?" Gatomon asks, her voice soft.
I managed a weak smile. "Yeah," I say, "I am fine. Just a little sore."
More than a little, but who is counting?
The adrenaline is starting to wear off, and the pain is setting in. My body aches, my head is throbbing, and I am pretty sure I have a few cracked ribs.
But we did it. We actually managed to stop the Hulk.
We actually survived.
***
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