New Friends and Old Enemies (Adrian) [Fin]

Great, they had just gone in, and already they found themselves in the middle of a crisis. Getting the abandoned girl to safety is Dante's biggest priority. Adrian commented on how she appears to be lost and homeless. The sound of a shriek has the group terrified. Annie shivers and clasps her hands over her ears. Adrian tells the group to run, as Seadramon's head slithers out of the shadows.

"We have to hurry!"

Dante kneels down and offers his arms towards the girl.

"Come on, I'll protect you."

Annie nods her head and Dante picks her up. Dante follows Adrian and Shoutmon down the hall. Wormmon goes chasing after the group, crawling as fast as he can with his tiny little legs. Seadramon launches an Ice Blast towards the group. The blast flies past the group overhead, crashing into the wall. Dante turns around a corner, followed by Wormmon.

"Woo, that was a close one, Dante."

Suddenly a blast can be heard coming from down the hall, as a net flies towards Wormy.

"Ahh, Dante, help!"

The rope on the end of the net retracts, dragging Wormmon down the hall. Dante turns to Shoutmon in a look of desperation.

"Shoutmon, Wormmon's being kidnapped! Can you break the line?"

Annie's eyes widen as Seadramon catches up to them. Dante can see the mist forming around Seadramon's mouth.

"Dang, there's no time!"

Seadramon fires another blast of ice towards Dante and Annie. Hopefully Shoutmon can save them.

With the group in danger, Adrian and Shoutmon take action. As Seadramon's ice attack is about to strike Dante and Annie, Adrian slides a card through his D-Arc, creating a Bota Bubble to stop the attack. Shoutmon Digivolves to SuperShoutmon so he can fight the sea serpent on a level playing field. SuperShoutmon throws an Enhanced Fastball at Seadramon, nailing the serpent right in the nose with the fire attack. Seadramon cries out in pain, shaking its head side to side.

SuperShoutmon goes to chase down Wormmon, and Dante follows suit. Seadramon regains focus, and fires a freezing cold blast towards the floor. A sheet of ice stretches across the group, causing the group to slip and slide across the floor. Dante struggles to maintain his balance while in motion, worried about dropping Annie. Dante ends up sliding right into SuperShoutmon, bouncing off and landing on his butt. He puts his right hand down on the ice, struggling to stand up.

The net dragging Wormmon across the floor stops retracting. Wormy shakes himself off, a little disoriented. He fails about in the net but can't get free. A lone figure steps forward form the shadows holding onto a net cannon. He is quite tall and wearing mostly back, and he has spiky blonde hair and a cut on his right cheek starting at the corner of his mouth. The man raises a candy bar to his mouth and takes a bite, snapping off a piece of chocolate. He speaks with an insincere tone.

"My my, look who is getting in the way of things again?"

Dante recognizes the voice. He sees the thief Cassius standing there with a smug look on his face.

"Cassius! You came here just to attack me? This isn't the time, we have to get this girl some help."
"I am here for the girl, but crushing you is a bonus. Get away from the girl, Dante. She cannot be trusted."
"Like I'm going to trust you. Let Wormmon go!"

Cassius glares over at Adrian.

"You there, tell your Digimon to power down. I have no qualms with you. Leave, before I change my mind!"
"Look at you, pretending to have honor even while threatening to harm a child."
"Stand down, Dante. Either you give the girl to me, or I will bury you all here in these ruins."

There is no way Dante is going to let Cassius take Annie. Wormmon is too far away to Digivolve. Would Adrian and SuperShoutmon leave Dante to deal with Cassius' wrath, or would they stick it to this fiend and the Seadramon?

(OOC: Ahh, my bad.)

Just when it looked like things were bad enough, who else but that thief Cassius shows up? Who could trust his word after all the horrible things he has done? He was one of the Tamers responsible for multiple fires breaking out downtown. Hopefully he's flying solo this time.

While Wormmon is unable to help, Adrian and SuperShoutmon step it up. Adrian slashes a card in his D-Arc, and SuperShoutmon strikes a serious blow to the sea serpent with a Death Hand attack. Seadramon ends up with several slashes along his underbelly.

Thinking boldly, Adrian charges towards Cassius, and punches him right in the gut. The thief no sells the attack from the much younger Adrian. Cassius puts his palm on Adrian's head, holding him out of punching range, like an older brother doing so to a younger sibling.

"Seriously? Do you know who I am?"

Cassius attempts to kick Adrian with the bottom of his foot right in the gut. Dante scowls at the rogue Tamer. He sets Annie down gently, and confronts the thief.

"Alright, how about we settle this, just you and me?"
"You too? There must be something in the air. All of you are delusional."

Cassius grabs onto the net Wormmon is inside of and slings it over his shoulder. He fires a grappling hook up to the ceiling, rising up through a hole in the desecrated structure.

"Dante! Stop this creep before he turns us into fish food!"

Seadramon shrieks at the group. The sea serpent is too injured to stand a chance against SuperShoutmon. Seadramon lets out a wave of mist, forming an ice wall between itself and the others. Seadramon slithers away, leaving the four of them unable to return the way they came, unless they smash through the ice. Dante puts his hands on his head in frustration.

"Argh, damn it, Cassius! With Wormmon captured, he probably wants to make an exchange."

Dante hears a familiar voice echoing from down the hall.

"You would be wise to make such a deal."

A shrine maiden with long black hair with elegant braids wearing a white and red kimono steps out of the shadows.

"Kiyoko? Oh, thank Goddess. Finally, a friendly face."
"Do not be so quick to judge my allegiance. While I am not working with Cassius, I intend to vanquish that evil creature you have been protecting just as much as he wants to."

Kiyoko takes a few more steps forward, turning her attention to Adrian.

"I hope you realize who you have been traveling with. Dante is no hero. He has allied himself with demonic Digimon. He is the leader of the Mazoku, a band of renegades who do not care about the lives of others."
"Kiyoko..."

Great. Kiyoko has spilled the beans to Adrian about the Mazoku. What would Adrian think about his new acquaintance now? Annie looks up at the shrine maiden, looking terrified.

"Please, don't let the scary lady hurt me! I am not an evil creature."

Cassius and his partner had caused more than their fair share of trouble. When SuperShoutmon asks in frustration why it seems like everyone is trying to kill them, Dante responds.

"Ya, it seems like that happens to me a lot."

Then if that wasn't bad enough, Kiyoko is sticking her pale nose into their business. She tells Adrian the truth about Dante's allegiance, and Adrian rightfully wants a response.

"It's not what is sounds like. Ya, the Mazoku get a bad wrap, but we are not that different from any other group that has Digimon. I believe I have played the role of the hero enough to prove where I stand. Though I don't expect you to know my past."

"Make whatever excuses you wish, Dante. You cannot hide from the truth. You have allied with evil Digimon, and for that I cannot allow you to interfere with the delicate balance between worlds."

"I'm starting to understand why no one likes you."

"I care not for the opinions of others. As far as the girl is concerned, I am not entirely sure what she is, or where she came from, but she is very dangerous. She has powers that she has no control of. I would not put a child at risk unless I had reason to carry out such a grim task."

Annie runs over to Dante, cowering from Kiyoko behind his leg. Dante is not going to let his former ally and friend harm her, no matter what she says.

"I can't let you do this, Kiyoko. She's just a child! Don't you have any compassion?! This isn't the intelligent shrine maiden I had feelings for."

"I have no use for such emotions. Whatever feelings I had for you were replaced by contempt for your evil ways. I will destroy the fiend, even if I have to go through you."

Kiyoko takes out a digivice, and it starts to glow. Renamon's data flows out of the device and surrounds the shrine maiden. They biomerge to form the Mega level Sakuyamon.

"And now you're going to attack me when I don't even have a partner to defend myself? Can't you see your own corruption?"

"It gives me no pleasure in hurting you, Dante, but I must do what I have to do. I swore an oath to protect this city."

Sakuyamon waves her staff in the air, summoning several spirit foxes made of energy. The foxes dash towards the group. Two of them pounce on Dante and take him down.

"Argh! Annie, run!"

Annie starts to panic. She tries to run away, but is cornered by the foxes. Two of the foxes leap towards SuperShoutmon, attempting to strike with their sharp fangs. One also engages Adrian, putting the Tamer at risk if SuperShoutmon can't save him while preoccupied with the other foxes. Annie backs against the wall. Her heart rate increases. Sakuyamon shows no emotion, no anger or sadness in what she is doing. With Wormmon captured by the thief, SuperShoutmon finds himself up against a Mega. Dante must be bad luck, it would seem.

It would seem that Adrian's opinion on Dante had drastically changed after Kiyoko revealed the truth about the Mazoku. Who would have thought that wearing snazzy robes and performing a few demonic rituals would change people's opinions about you. For now, Adrian was willing to work with Dante for the sake of Annie.

SuperShoutmon could take no more. Sakuyamon was putting innocent lives in danger. The Digimon unleashes an energy surge that exterminates Kiyoko's fox spirits, and Digivolves to OmniShoutmon. It wasn't a level playing field, but it would have to do for now. OmniShoutmon launches a powerful blast at the Mega, hitting dead on and knocking them back. The Ultimate level would then slam her into the wall, holding her against the decaying structure.

Sakuyamon had gotten rocked, but she isn't going down that easily. The Miko Digimon places a fox card talisman on OmniShoutmon's forehead. They were at close range so it would almost surely connect. The attack would send spirit energy circulating through OmniShoutmon's data, knocking them back.

Adrian makes it clear to Dante that their alliance would be temporary, and to find Wormmon while he gets Annie out of harm's way. Dante didn't stand much of a chance against Cassius on his own. The thief probably wanted to make an exchange, the Worm King for the girl, and then Dante might have a chance to break Wormmon free and still guard Annie. If that was the plan, Dante would search out Cassius and hope for the best.

With Sakuyamon distracted, Adrian and Annie would have a clear shot continuing down the hall. Dante heads further into the ruins of the old high school, searching for the thief.

"Alright, Cassius! Come out here and fight me like a man! Or did you stop being such a hot head that charges into battle? No, your ego is way too big for that to happen. I've wanted to knock your teeth down your throat for years, so let's settle the score. For Shirou, for Angel, and now for Cassandra."

The battle to save Annie was in full swing. Adrian and Dante had already encountered two fearsome Tamers. Just what is the story behind this poor abandoned little girl? OmniShoutmon fires a Flame Cannon at Sakuyamon, launching several missile energy beams at the Miko. Sakuyamon creates a barrier out of spirit energy, negating his attacks for now. The barrier powers down, and Sakuyamon glares at OmniShoutmon.

"How dare you interfere?! I must protect the city at all costs! I am the only one that I can rely on. The rest of you Tamers would be better off sticking to your normal lives. You have no idea what it truly means to be a Digimon Tamer."

Oh, that attitude. Kiyoko was in full righteous fury mode at this point. As Adrian and Annie flee down the hall, suddenly they see a large hammer flying through the air. The hammer rockets down the hall, heading straight for the Mega. The hammer crashes into Sakuyamon, sending them flying down the hall. Sakuyamon struggles to get up. The hammer lays on the ground. Kiyoko recognizes the hammer.

"That hammer! No, it can't be..."

A large man clad in black plate armor stomps down the hall. He is carrying a large shield that appears to have been in many battles before. Only his head is not protected by armor, showing his short brown hair and several scars. He approaches Adrian and Annie, looking down at them.

"Well, finding you wasn't easy, but it's going to be alright now."

Sakuyamon ignores OmniShoutmon for the moment, dashing down the hall. On one side stands the armor covered man, and the other Sakuyamon, with Adrian and Annie in the middle.

"Stay out of this, Gunner! If you force my hand again, I will make sure you take your last breath here."

"Now is that any way to talk to an old friend? I'm here to rescue the girl."

Meanwhile, Dante is traversing through the ruins, searching out Cassius.

Yet another acquaintance had dropped in, but is Gunner a friend, or foe? Fortunately, Adrian protects Annie from the airborne hammer, as it passes by overhead. OmniShoutmon is enraged with bloodlust, his eyes turning red. Sakuyamon and Gunner have a standoff, arguing over Annie.

"What difference does it make to you, blacksmith? I know where your priorities lay. You serve but one master, a mistress that has left you for good."

Gunner chuckles to himself, showing not aggression, fear, or malice. He acts as casual as if they were all sitting down for a cup of coffee.

"Isn't it obvious? Come to me, Annie. I will protect you, as I always have."

The gears click in Kiyoko's mind. Sakuyamon's expression turns to that of terror, as she realizes what Annie really is.

"No! It's worse than I thought! Young Tamer, you have to get out of here. That girl is a danger to the entire world!"

"Now isn't that a bit overdramatic? You always did take everything so seriously."

Gunner raises his hand, as his hammer rises up and flies towards Sakuyamon from behind. The hammer nails Sakuyamon in the back, sending her falling face first to the ground. The hammer returns to Gunner's hand, as he smugly strikes a confident pose.

"I have no quarrel with you, young man, or your big angry friend. I suggest that you let me take the girl."

"Argh, no, you can't..."

Sakuyamon struggles to rise up, panting and gasping for air. Annie nervously looks up at Adrian, unsure if she can trust Gunner or not.
_____________

Meanwhile, Dante searches the ruins for the thief Cassius. Suddenly a grappling hook shoots out of the shadows, hitting Dante in the chest. Dante's legs buckle, and he hunches over. The grappling hook retracts, as Cassius slowly walks towards him. He swings the hook in his hand, grinning at Dante.

"You called?"
"Enough messing around. Where's Wormmon?!"
"You'll get your partner back when I get the girl. But for now, I agree, we should settle this like men."

Cassius tosses the hook down. He takes off his equipment belt and drops it on the ground. The two Tamers stare each other down, Cassius much taller than the redhead. Dante takes up a fighting stance, and throws a few strikes at the rogue. Cassius blocks his strikes, countering with a quick blow to the head. Dante staggers back a bit, starting to breathe heavily. Dante manages to land a roundhouse kick to Cassius' ribs, as the thief groans in pain. Dante goes for another kick, but Cassius grabs his leg and drops his elbow down right on his knee. Dante leaps up with his other leg, nailing Cassius with a kick right to the side of the head. Both men go down.

Dante plants his hand on the ground, lifting himself up. Cassius leans back, placing his hands over head and springing up backwards.

"Showoff."
"Amateur."

"Just what is your problem anyway? I know you're a hotheaded thief, but when did you become a sociopath?"
"Says the guy who allies himself with all kinds of delusional, power hungry fiends."

"It takes one to know one. What do you want with Annie?!"
"She is a danger that needs to be pacified. Can't you open your eyes and see that you are in the wrong?"

"Like how I was in the wrong by saving Shirou from you?"
"I know Shirou a lot better than you do, and that maniac belongs behind bars. No no no, he's too dangerous to be kept alive."

"You see danger everywhere you look. And now I hear that you are obsessed with Doctor Cross? Just what is your deal?"
"Cassandra is a fascinating individual. She's not like other women. At first, I thought she was weak, but now I know better."

Cassius motions towards his face, drawing attention to the scar on his right cheek starting in the corner of his mouth.

"I have taken quite a liking to her, and I want to know her inside and out. I want to protect her from the evils of this world. And someday, I will break her as she did me."
"Wow, the doctor really did a number on you, didn't she? And here I thought you were a ladies' man."
"That I am. Just ask Angel. That is if you could have protected her."