Digimon Adventure ND Book One: Manipulamon Reigns - Chapter Seven

And so concludes the first battle with one of Manipulamon's generals. I think that I did a good job conveying the difference between a regular battle and a battle with a Digimon of this caliber. If things hadn't gone exactly right in the chapter below, Scorpiomon would have won, and the adventure would have been over.

Scorpiomon, despite being a high level compared to the group's current Digimon, and being quite deadly, was one of the weaker general, which is why he was made to oversee such low level Digimon. Manipulamon doesn't really believe in his abilities. Also, while Scorpiomon gave the kids plenty of trouble, it is his other generals, including the hidden ones (yes, there are two generals that the Digidestined don't even know about yet) who will really be a problem.

Chapter Seven

Versus Scorpiomon!

Meanwhile, Sarah and Amanda, on their small mounts, managed to keep just ahead of the Stingmon that gave them chase. They wove and darted through the tunnel, desperate to keep ahead, and to avoid collision with the tunnel walls, and finally, after too many breathless minutes, they emerged into the clearing. The two Digimon separated, and tossed the humans off as they turned to face the oncoming Digimon, and the girls scurried away. They both knew that they didn't stand a chance. Ponymon could barely fight at all without Coltmon at her side, and with John still deep underground, BlackColtmon couldn't Digivolve.

Despite this, BlackColtmon was the first to attack. He stomped the ground, and his hooves lit up with back fire that poured up over the Stingmon, but it wasn't any hotter than the ambient heat of that pit, and so the Stingmon barely felt it. The Stingmon lunged, swinging its sword-like stingers at both Digimon, but they managed to dart out of the way, and BlackColtmon even managed to jump up and bound up the opponent's outstretched arm, kicking him once in the face before falling back to the ground. He didn't hurt his foe enough to matter, but he did catch it's attention. The Stingmon chased him to the edge of the trees across the clearing from the cliff side. BlackColtmon darted through the trees, desperate to lose his pursuer, but Stingmon was relentless, simply cutting down any tree that got in his way. He was barely slowed at all.

Finally BlackColtmon was cornered. There was nothing else he could do, and he knew it. He turned to meet his fate head on, just in time to see Stingmon engulfed in a shining tornado that rose up around Coltmon and Ponymon as they charged in to join him in battle. Stingmon was thrown to the ground, dazed. BlackColtmon jumped, pushed off of a tree, and fell hard on the foes chest, reducing him to a cloud of data.

“Hurry,” he said to the others as they reached him, “we have to get inside the cavern. Scorpiomon's in there, and John's in there with him!”

They began running toward the cavern, but they didn't realize at the time that by the time they made it, it would be too late, and that we'd have already found our own way outside.

Back in the cavern, Dragonterramon leaped, slashed, and spit fire at the wing of Stingmon that faced him, but it was no use. They had enough room under the high ceiling to avoid the land dragon's attacks. He was only serving to keep them at bay.

“We have to get up to fight with the others,” I finally said, “or we won't stand a chance of making it out of this alive, but even if we could fit through the opening into the tunnel, we'd have to turn our backs to these guys, and we'd be mowed down for sure.”

For the first time since coming to this world, I'd started to realize just how dangerous it was here, but I fought to keep my cool and come up with something. No matter how much I racked my brain, however, I didn't have a clue. We just couldn't win this alone. Soon the five Stingmon had us cornered between the cavern wall, and the lava pit that would be certain death. They were baring down on us when suddenly they were pelted by rocks and fireballs and forced to retreat up toward the ceiling, shielding their faces. Dragonterramon and I looked over at the source of the small attacks, and we saw something amazing.

“The Agumon and Gotsumon,” I said, a wide grin playing across my face, “they're fighting with us!”

Sure enough all of the Agumon and Gotsumon, dozens of tired and hungry and desperate Child Digimon, were combining fire, trying to give us the best chance possible.

“Let's not waste this advantage, Pal,” I told my dragon mount. He nodded, and put everything he had into a huge breath attack, aiming not for the Stingmon, but for the ceiling above them. It exploded, showering rocks down on them, pushing them into the lava below, burning them up in an instant.

“Alright! Agumons and Gotsumons, head for the surface, we've got your back!”

I looked over at BrauntoPhoenixmon, who was still grappling with Scorpiomon, “Braunto, we gotta go!”

BrauntoPhoenixmon heard me. With a strained sweep of his huge wings, he pushed Scorpiomon back, and revealed how wounded he was. There were cuts and nicks all across his body, his wings were disheveled, and his flames were fainter than I remembered. Still he flapped his wings and rose over the lava pit, prepared to join us, and leave Scorpiomon stranded at the other side.

Scorpiomon, however, had other ideas.

“No you don't!” the Insectoid said in his fierce, raspy voice. He leaped, and latched onto BrauntoPhoenixmon's back. BrauntoPhoenixmon recoiled, and rose up high, slamming into the roof of the cavern, breaking clear through to the forest above! Suddenly rocks and debris were dropping violently all around us, and there were still far too many Agumon and Gotsumon in the mouth of the exit for us to escape that way, even if Dragonterramon were to return to his usual, smaller form. So my partner did something kind of stupid, because he had no choice. He ran toward the lava pit, and he jumped.

“Hold on,” Dragonterramon cried. He caught a falling chunk of stone with his talon/feet and jumped up to the next, and to the next, and the next, and he grabbed the leg of the still-rising BrauntoPhoenixmon. The huge dinosaur listed to the side, and he, Dragonterramon, Scorpiomon and I all rolled onto the ground in the clearing. Scorpiomon and Dragonterramon were up in an instant, with me right behind them, thankful that I hadn't been crushed by any giant creatures. BrauntoPhoenixmon, however, was a little slower to rise, and when he did, he was the much-smaller Chickomon once again.

Oh no! I thought. BrauntoPhoenixmon, with his sheer size and strength, and his ability to fly, was supposed to be our trump card in this fight, and now he was out of it until he could recover his strength. I was worried that we wouldn't last that long. I actually considered running, but I'd seen Scorpiomon move down there during his fight with BrauntoPhoenixmon. The horses might be able to get away, but the rest of us would be too slow.

Besides, I realized, if we run, it will just leave the Agumon and the Gotsumon at Scorpiomon's mercy again, and I don't want that.

“Dragonterramon,” I told my friend, who was hovering over me protectively, “you can't beat him alone, so hold him off until the others can catch up. They can't be far. Maybe together we can take him.”

“You think so, do you?” Scorpiomon asked tauntingly, followed by a laugh. “I am a Perfect Level Digimon. My abilities are superior. Unless you have already unlocked the power of your Crests, you stand no chance against me, and even if you had, my tail stinger can piece any armor. Your big friend only survived because he's too bulky to kill in one hit. You, however,” he said, looking right at Dragonterramon, “are different story!”

Scorpiomon lunged, scuttling forward on his blade-like feet, but thankfully Dragonterramon had listened to my suggestion and avoided the larger Digimon. Rather than meet him head on, he side-stepped and managed to deflect Scorpiomon's striking tail off of a set of energized claws. Scorpiomon lunged again, and Dragonterramon did the same thing again, breathing some flames on Scorpiomon for good measure, though they just bounced off of his armored shell. If he could keep this up, Dragonterramon could stay alive for a while, but he would never in a hundred years be able to get in close enough to hit the scorpion in the only weak spot that I could see: the gaps between those plates. From what I could see, these slim openings were the only chance we had of actually winning, if we could just attack them, but the long reach of Scorpiomon's tail made that almost impossible.

I really didn't know what to do.

After minutes on minutes of Dragonterramon avoiding Scorpiomon's attacks, finally the others arrived. I didn't even notice them at first, until a shining red and pink tornado struck Scorpiomon, doing little more than annoying him and drawing his attention. I turned and I saw the horses running up, taking point, with the others close behind. Jeremy was taking up the rear, with Mechmon sitting on his shoulder. Amanda ran over to Chickomon and checked him while Coltmon and Ponymon unleashed another of their Hoof Tornadoes, which Scorpiomon didn't even bother bracing himself against, and BlackColtmon ran up to my side.

“Want to get in on this?” I asked him.

“You know I do,” he replied, and my Digivice came alive.

“Initiate Digivolution,” I declared.

“BlackColtmon, Digivolve to,” he called as he lunged forward into the fray, growing larger as he went, “BlackStaliamon!”

My two Digimon moved together like experts, drawing attention from each other, and doubling their chances to survive, but neither of them had any ranged attacks the were precise enough to hit the gaps between Scorpiomon's armor plates, and they didn't even try. I thought for a second, unsure what to do, and them finally I turned to Jeremy, “Wait, can't Mechmon Digivolve?”

“Y-Yeah,” Jeremy said, tearing his eyes away from the battle, “sorry, I guess I've just never seen a Digimon this powerful up close before.”

He took out his Digivice and hit the activation button, and the little monkey-like machine jumped from his shoulder and grew into a tall, humanoid mech reminiscent of something from Gundam Wing, with booster rockets on his back.

“We have to aim for the gaps in his armor is we're going to have even a chance of winning,” I told my friend.

“Right,” he said, “Mechamon, you heard him.”

The machine Digimon rushed in, his outlet plug hands charged with electricity, and did an impressive flip over Scorpiomon's back. Scorpiomon seemed surprised to see Mechamon in the battle, and he didn't react as quickly as he should have. He swung his tail, but rather than striking Mechamon, he just swatted him out of the air. The machine Digimon landed alongside his allies, and they stood facing the enemy for a few moments, as if trying to decide if they had a chance of winning now, and if so what their tactics should be.

That's when Mechamon did something stupid. He lunged forward alone, right at Scorpiomon. He didn't even use his rockets, he just charged, his electrically-charged hands held ready, and jumped, attempting to strike Scorpiomon directly. This time, however, Scorpiomon was prepared for him. He struck with his tail and impaled Mechamon clear through the chest, knocking chucks of metal and pieces of machinery loose and scattering them all around. Mechamon fell away from his foe's tail, and shrunk back into Mechmon, who made a hasty retreat.

“Looks like your reinforcement didn't last,” said Scorpiomon to my Digimon. “Well, I've had about as much fun as I can with you, and I need to start rounding up my slaves soon before too many get away, so I think it's about time we ended this.”

He sprung forward, as if he meant to strike at the pair with his tail, but nothing happened, and Scorpiomon cried out in pain. He looked back and the rest of us followed his gaze. Somehow, completely by accident, a shard of metal from Mechamon's chest plate had lodged itself in a gap between the sections of the scorpion's tail. He could barely move it.

“This is our chance!” I cried, and my Digimon took action. Dragonterramon struck at Scorpiomon with flame and tail to draw his eyes while BlackStaliamon jumped up, repelled off of a tree, and dropped right onto the shard embedded in the foe's tail, and drove it through. With a sharp crack, the tail broke loose and broke down into pixelated dust.

“No,” Scorpiomon cried, “I'll kill you for that!”

He lunged again, raising his claws this time, claws which were still quite deadly, and a great deal larger than my dragon's. With the Digimon so close, they stood little chance of getting out of the way, but they didn't need to, as we would soon see. At that exact moment, Scorpiomon was pelted in the face by a barrage of rocks and fireballs from the large group of dozens of Agumon and Gotsumon who had joined us in battle. It didn't hurt him, but it was enough to avert his eyes and throw off his aim. My Digimon side-stepped with ease, and Dragonterramon lunged forward inside Scorpiomon's guard.

His claws glowed, and he called out, “Terra Claw!” He swiped, hitting Scorpiomon right in the gap between armor plates on his back. Scorpiomon cried out, and a segment of his armor dissolved. Dragonterramon jumped back, and called out, “Terra Flame!” He breathed flames right at the weak spot, softening it up for the incoming Hoof Tornado from the little horses, followed by a full-powered Hoof Slam from BlackStaliamon.

The Digimon stepped back, regrouping. Scorpiomon was silent now, and unmoving, but he was still alive. Then, with a groan, he dissolved into digital dust. For a moment we were all speechless, and then a resounding cheer rose up amongst us, from the humans, to the Digimon, to the Agumon and Gotsumon. Somehow we'd done it, we'd actually managed to win. In that moment it gave us hope that we could do anything.

The Digimon returned to their child forms, and we spoke with the Agumon and Gotsumon. They'd been under Manipulamon's thumb for so long that they almost didn't know what to do. We offered to let them come with us, but they decided that they should probably return to their home regions, near the volcanic region to the east. So as morning broke, the sun of this strange world peeking over the horizon, we said goodbye to our new friends, and prepared to move on as well.

We were all tired, and we were all hungry, but we'd already lost too much time. Despite the reservations of Amanda and Jeremy, we sought out some Digimushrooms to restore our strength as much as we could, and we set out once again toward the hidden village of the Gekomon, and the next step on our journey. As we walked, I talked to Jeremy.

“Hey, man,” I said, “I don't want you to think that I'm calling you out or anything by disagreeing with you so much. I just really want us to move forward, and to be as smart as we can about it, you know?”

“Yeah,” said Jeremy with a half-smile.

“Like last night, fighting Scorpiomon. If Mechamon hadn't done what he did and gotten that piece of metal lodged in Scorpiomon's tail, we almost definitely woulda lost, but it was super reckless. If he'd been hit a little harder or in, like, his head or something, he coulda died. We can't be doing stuff like that, okay? This mission is important, and we're going to need us all in one piece to complete it.”

Jeremy smiled again, “Okay, I'll keep that in mind.”

With that said, Jeremy increased his pace, pushing ahead to the front of the group.

“Okay guys,” he said, “we're going the right way, and we should get there before nightfall at this rate. Follow me.”

He led the way toward our goal. Again he said all of the right things, but just like earlier he'd been too quick to agree, almost like he was trying too hard to stay on good terms with me. I should have been glad that my friend was on my side, but it all made me nervous. Something was going on with Jeremy, and I needed to find out what.

Meanwhile, as we walked away, someone watched us. He kicked fallen pieces of Mechamon around the dirt as he sized us up, a half-sneer playing at his lips as a small creature of living flame danced eagerly around his head.

Next Chapter >>