Shadows of the Exile (Open)

Dastex listens as Kazumi explains that Yuki sensed something was wrong, displaying wisdom that perhaps had come from age. Vemmon explains that they mean no harm and were looking to trade some healing supplies. Dastex approaches Vemmon sitting next to Kazumi and leans in, interested in the healing items. His bodyguards follow, but Dastex waves his hand as to indicate they can relax for now.

"Healing items? Well, that does sound useful. We will need some after this catastrophe."

Dastex then turns to Kazumi and bows.

"Please excuse me. I wasn't sure what your intentions were, and I sent a squad to check due to safety concerns. I am interested in purchasing your supplies. May I see them? In fact, you appear to be just what the Iron Imperials are looking for. What would you say to joining our righteous cause? Together, we can bring harmony to the Digital World."

The purple and blue mechs turn and look at each other and exchange a concerned stare. The yellow mech steps forward, breaking rank and calling out his leader.

"Why? So you can send them to their deaths like all the others?"

At that moment, the tone in the room shifted drastically. Dastex turns to the mech with his jaw dropped. It is dead silent for a short time besides alarms heard going off nearby. Red's heart sinks as he fears for his squad partner.

"What did you say, you inefficient goon?!"

Anyone could see that Dastex is about to unleash hell upon this less than user-friendly mech. Anyone except Shadow, though he could no doubt sense it as well. The red leader mech wants to interject, but he knows that yellow stepped in it so deep that there was next to nothing he could say to help.

Elsewhere in the base, two human officers are walking down a walkway next to large machinery and computers. One of them hears something and stops, looking around. "Yoo hoo."

"What was that?" "I didn't hear anything." They continue walking until not long after, they hear something again. "Yoo hoo." "There it is again!" "I heard it too. Is someone there? Show yourself."

The lights in the room start to flicker. The officers examine an area nearby with some large crates. One of them goes left while the other is inspecting the right side. All of a sudden, a stack of crates falls over, trapping one of the officers. The other goes to inspect. While he is trying to move the crates, he is struck on the back of the head by the torso of a machine Digimon. The officer collapses to the floor while the other struggles trying to free himself.

"Nighty night, dummy. Hee hee hee hee!"

A strange figure drags the officer by the feet. As the lights flicker, the shape of a spider crawling on a web can be seen cast along the wall.

The lord is impressed with Kazumi and her polite behavior. He was so impressed that he offered to recruit their group. Yuki speaks up and explains that one would be hesitant to joining when they don't yet know what they are up against.

"Yes, well, perhaps this is not the time for drawing up a contract. You are all welcome to assist if you please and will be compensated accordingly."

Vemmon sticks up for the Mechanorimon with the yellow grenade mark. He asks the lord to not be so harsh on the mech. Maybe the proper thing would be to take it in stride, but in Dastex's mind, his underling had made a fool out of him. He spoke out of turn and made an unflattering remark about his leadership. Few things would please Dastex more than torturing the disrespectful robot, but it wasn't a good look in front of potential new hires.

"Red arrow, is your comrade defective in the head?"
"My lord, he appears to be malfunctioning. Must be the smoke in his gears. May I offer to escort him to the med bay immediately?"
"Why, yes of course. See to it he gets the help he needs. Dismissed."
"Hail the Iron Imperials!"

The red arrow mech pushes on the torso of yellow and starts walking him back. Yellow begrudgingly goes with red and they exit the garage. Dastex clears his throat and turns his focus back to Kazumi. Shadow explains that Lalamon is an expert all things plants and has a real talent for understanding them.

"Please excuse that interruption. Where were we? Ah, yes. I am eager to buy some of your supplies. I will call for a medic to examine them to determine a fair price."

Nanomon is busy typing away at the computer. He turns and waves to get Lord Dastex's attention.

"My lord, there is no sign of the intruder, currently."
"What nonsense is this? What do you mean, no sign of them?!"
"It's not showing up on any of the cameras. The Mega level data signal is gone. See your yourself."

Dastex goes over to check the computer. He turns on the big screen where all can see. There is a map of the stronghold displayed. Nanomon plays some video feed from earlier that show the red cloaked figure slicing apart machine Digimon and moving at frightening speeds.

"The areas greyed out have their power down. The red areas indicate fires. So many of our troops have been injured, it's disrupted operations."
"That's a lot of red. Call in as many guards as you can. That creature has got to be here somewhere. And have the cooks start working on lunch."
"Is now really the time to be thinking about food?"
"This invader is driving me crazy. It's making me hungry. If anyone wants something to eat, there are menus at the kiosks on the wall."

Next to the vending machines are kiosks with digital touch screens where one can place an order, free of charge. A medic is on the way to examine Lalamon's plants for potential purchase. No doubt Dastex wants to buy but lacks the knowledge himself to know how plants works. While Dastex is distracted by the screen, the purple mech flies over to Kazumi.

"Yellow had a pilot, once. He was a Gaomon. Maybe that's why yellow has been so irritable."

What was already a tense situation thanks to the invader narrowly avoided escalating thanks to Vemmon coming to yellow's defense. Maybe Dastex wasn't completely hardheaded and had a soft spot for the sweetness of the purple insect Digimon. Yuki did a good job at keeping their options open by not fully joining the Iron Imperials. Even though times were tough at the moment, it's safe to say that the strict and zero tolerance nature of the Imperials would have come out whether or not they were under attack.

Dorulumon mentions a good point: the intruder likely devolved to an earlier stage, which would explain why there was no longer a strong signal. However, without the signal and if the intruder decides not to show themselves, it makes their goal of Tera Stronghold security into a game of find the invisible needle in a haystack. Nanomon takes note of Dorulumon's observation.

"That is a likely explanation. However, that leaves us in the unfavorable position of dealing with an intruder using stealth. Certainly a 180 from their initial arrival. From what we can tell from the videos, this intruder has some kind of ability that allows them to phase through solid manner, in addition to frightening speed. They seem to prefer melee combat, but demonstrated the capacity to fire basic ranged energy blasts. Whoever they are, they appear intent on concealing themselves for the time being. It's been several minutes since our cameras have detected them."

"I find it difficult to believe that they have eluded us this long. Surely, some of our cameras must have caught them more recently. Especially if they decreased their power temporarily."

"Several security cameras are down. This individual has demonstrated great perception. Take a look at this video from earlier."

Nanomon plays a video that shows the intruder walking down a hall. There's another camera showing some guards nearby. Shortly after the guards change direction and head towards where the intruder is at, the intruder suddenly disappears.

"This unwelcomed guest may have revealed more than they intended. It seems like they could sense the guards change their course. Quite an impressive feat of awareness."

Was Nanomon right to be concerned? Slowly, they were piecing together a puzzle. Dorulumon suggested the intruder powered down, and Nanomon found an example of high perception. This was only giving Dastex more cause for alarm.

"If there's no sign of them, then I want these blasted alarms off. And start restoring power to as many areas as we can."

The doors to the left open up, and a Medicmon marches in. This Digimon is a machine Digimon and highly equipped with fancy electronics, but not designed for combat. The Medicmon walks up to Dastex and scans him with an x-ray coming from a large device on his back.

"Good day, my lord. All vitals appear stable. Low on Vitamin D, as usual."
"That's not why I summoned you here."

Medicmon reaches out and waves a giant pill bottle in Dastex's face.

"Are you taking your vitamin supplements? Be sure to take them with food and water."
"I am! I've been taking those stupid things every day, and every time you tell me I still have a vitamin D deficiency."
"Every day?"
"Argh, no."
"Thought so."
"Just go examine the plants!"

Dastex points over to Lalamon. Medicmon waddles over to the Rookie level.

"Good day to you. My name is Medicmon. I am a Digimon programmed for all things health and efficiency. I also have a vast library of knowledge when it comes to medicinal herbs. May I see your inventory?"

Dastex couldn't help but feel embarrassed when Lalamon laughed as Medicmon chastised the lord for not taking his vitamins every day. It's clear that he is frustrated at Medicmon, but it seems like Dastex relies on the medic too much to lecture or talk down to the medic. He tries to brush off the awkwardness by ignoring how uncomfortable Medicmon made him. Even the mechs were snickering behind Dastex's back.

Lalamon floats over to Koko with Shadow sticking close and gets some boxes of medicine. Medicmon appears impressed by the diverse selection of vitamins and painkillers. The medic pulls up a computer screen and starts typing away vigorously on a keyboard as he looks up the prices.

"Ah, quite nice indeed. Some of this is very hard to come by. I suggest we pay a rate of 25% above market rate. That's still a great value, and I feel both sides benefit nicely."

"25% above market rate?! Of all the ridiculous things... Fine. Would you prefer cash, or rather have the funds deposited?"

Nanomon continues working at the computer. He attempts diverting power from other areas to get the grey areas online, but it's no use with several cut wires.

"We're going to need to send squads out to manually repair some of these wires. There's no telling how long until the intruder reveals themselves again. We will have to act quickly."

"This seems like a good task for our new friends. Why don't we divide our forces into 2 groups and dispatch them?"

The blue and purple mechs approach repair stations and are equipped with devices on their back that can make repairs. One group would go with blue towards the north side, and the other group with purple to the south side.

"It is good that you have both melee and ranged capabilities. You should divide yourselves into 2 groups that have a decent balance of both. I will be able to communicate with both groups via the Mechanorimon doing the repairs."

Green gets assigned to help repair some injured bots. He waves to Kazumi and exits the room. Shadow's awareness would no doubt help whichever group he goes with in case the intruder launches a surprise attack. The stress of the intruder was wearing hard on the minds of the Imperials. Only Medicmon seems relaxed, smiling when the leaf on Lalamon's head turns slowly. There was no telling what the intruder's next move would be, and they still did not understand their intentions.

Yuki gives Dastex some kind words when some of the Digimon were snickering at him for not taking his vitamins every day. This only embarrasses him further by bringing it up. Lalamon mentions that he's not the only one who doesn't follow a daily schedule with medicine, as Dorulumon can be difficult. The lord clears his throat and rubs his fingers under his crown itching his forehead in stress.

"Those vitamins probably don't even work. How am I supposed to get vitamin D up here in the mountains? It's not my fault there's barely any sunlight."

Kazumi decides that Vemmon, Hudiemon, and Lalamon will be one group. They will go with purple to the south side. The other group consists of Shadow, Yuki, and Dorulumon. They will accompany Blue on the north side. Koko will remain here with Kazumi to assist with medical aid. Vemmon mentions that he can help out with his computer hacking skills. Nanomon thinks that is a great idea.

"Yes indeed. There is a computer hub on the south side. You'll need this disc. Insert the disc into the mainframe. It contains the override codes. Then copy the data marked Backup.cache. You'll have to pass a security check that will require a great deal of speed and concentration."

Nanomon rolls across the floor on a computer chair with wheels and bumps into a bench. He reaches out and hands Vemmon a purple compact disc. When it comes to the medical supplies, Dastex didn't seem to mind spending a bit that much. He trusts Medicmon's opinions and information.

"The north group will go with blue to the security hub, repairing along the way. There are a few fires in the area, so you'll have to go the long way. If you feel like it, you can put a few fires out if you can. Good luck to you."

Lord Dastex seems confident in their plan. Kazumi and her team of Digimon appear quite experienced and capable. With his army weakened, it is a huge boon to have so many talented Digimon helping the Imperials.

"I have total faith that both parties will accomplish their objectives. You have my gratitude. All glory to the Iron Imperials!"

Both groups exit through the main door. They reach a T-shaped hallway and head in opposite directions. It isn't long until the purple group reaches an area where several lights are out. The Mechanorimon scans around and detects a loose wire, and he begins repairs.

The blue group travels up a spiral staircase until they reach a hallway. They can hear flames off in the distance. Two BlackToyAgumon guards come running by, screaming with their arms waving in the air. The group has the option to either put out the fire and continue on, or take a detour and work their way around to the security hub. Nanomon pulls up the feed from some of the working cameras, and he and the others watch on intently.

"Keep me updated on everything, Nanomon. I still want our Mega level operational, and we still should be receiving that delivery today."

It seems humans are not the only ones that deal with vitamin D deficiencies as Yuki mentions how similar Digimon and humans can be. She has seen much in her many lives and continues to learn even now. One could tell that Yuki is just dripping with experience when she speaks, and it made Dastex feel a little bit better knowing such an intelligent Digimon was on their side.

Both groups continue on with the flyers leading the way ahead. Kazumi's party assists the two mechs with technical repairs while Shadow and Dorulumon work to put out some of the fires. Dorurlumon's drill tail proves to be an effective fire counter. Both the blue and purple marked mechs are delighted to have such efficient comrades working together in this time of chaos.

The north group handles the fires nearby and is able to carry on without interruption. Blue gestures forward and points out that the security hub is not much farther. Footprints can be heard off in the distance. Then, a second sound can be heard traveling past them a few yards out. It's almost as if the sound is coming from inside the walls. There wasn't much time to investigate before a woman in heavy armor can be seen walking towards the blue group.

Blisha marches vigorously with her head tilted forward and two flying drones accompanying her. She is carrying a large laser rifle and her armor shimmers as it casts the reflection of nearby metal. Fortunately, Blisha recognizes the blue mech. Otherwise, this short-tempered gunslinger would no doubt be quick to start firing upon a group of unknown Digimon.

"Halt, officers, if that's who you are. Blue mech, I recognize you, but not the others. State your business."
"Hello there, Captain Blisha. We have been sent by Lord Dastex to repair the wires and secure the security hub. I assure you that you can trust these Digimon."

Blisha points her rifle out and points it towards Yuki, Shadow, and then Dorulumon, using the scope to scan their data. This woman does not appear friendly at all. No doubt the stress of the mystery invader has her on high alert.

The south group does a good job at repairs with Hudiemon leading the way. However, as they continue on, they can hear the sound of metal bending. A bolt suddenly shoots off of a nearby railing. The platform beneath their feet begins to give out. The floor gives out in front of them and slopes down. In a flash, more and more of the floor begins to collapse. Purple's first reaction is to fly back a bit, avoiding falling down, but the mech grows concerned and looks around for Vemmon and Lalamon. Hudiemon as a flyer did not have to worry about falling in, but would she be able to help Vemmon and Lalamon in time?

Back at the garage, Lord Dastex monitors the screens intently while Nanomon operates the computer. The doors open up, and two BlackGuilmon mechs come rushing in with a damaged BlackGuilmon mech on a stretcher. This injured bot has been sliced in two near the waist, and his head has caved in like an empty soda can. The injured bot screams as his pain receptors reach 100%. The screams send chills up the spines of those nearby, and would not be soon forgotten.

Some mechs scramble to bring tools over to the injured bot. Kazumi and Koko would be able to examine it and hopefully mend the bot. The sooner the better, as the screams would no doubt haunt those that hear it. Dastex appears more annoyed by the screams than concerned for the BlackGuilmon mech. It was clear that he saw his mechanical underlings as little more than appliances to serve him.

Blisha listens as Yuki the dragon Digimon explains how they came here selling medicine and decided to help the Imperials. The armored woman seems skeptical at first, but finally believes Yuki and lowers her weapon. It's almost as if she is disappointed she didn't get to blast the north party.

"Very well. On behalf of the Iron Imperials, I welcome your aid. The security hub is not far from here."

Blisha marches on and leads the way. The group reaches a steel sliding door. It opens to reveal a large room in the shape of a vertical cylinder. There is a platform leading to the center of the room, and another leading to a door on the left. Only a very short railing on either side is there, so one would be wise to watch their step. Blisha leads the group across to the other door. Inside is a room with a large ceiling turret and a glass window a few feet off the ground on the right.

Blisha looks up and sees an injured security officer with red hair covered in some blood. They are laying nearly unconscious in the chair at the security panel. Blisha panics and rushes trying to unlock the door to the security room with a key card.

The south group nearly ran into disaster as the platform below their feet gave way. Fortunately, the purple mech and Hudiemon are able to fly. Lalamon manages to hover to safety, her cute short arms waving around. Vemmon falls through and Hudiemon comes to the purple insect Digimon's rescue. Hudiemon asks if everyone is alright, and luckily the party avoided injury.

"I'm safe everyone's glad. I mean, I'm glad everyone is safe!"

Purple would walk much more slowly, cautious with every step. The group continues on from the other side, purple staying close to Vemmon. They reach a door leading to a storage room, but the lights nearby are out.

"Looks like there's some repairs needed in that room. It will be hard to see."

The Mechanorimon turns on a flashlight equipped to their arm, providing some source of light. It would still be quite difficult to see. Too bad Shadow was not in this group.

Back at the garage, Kazumi expresses concern for the severely damaged mech. However, her knowledge when it comes to healing focuses more on organic beings and less on heavy machinery. Lord Dastex turns his attention to the injured mech. Medicmon runs a diagnosis and calculates the cost of repairs on a calculator.

"Looks like the cost of repair is greater than the cost to buy a new one."
"Tragic. Send this failure off to the scrap heap immediately. And disable its blasted voice at once!"

Lord Dastex is truly showing just what an evil, greedy jerk he can be. One of the bots reveals a laser knife that resembles a turkey carver and slices the injured mech's throat. His dying screams cease in an instant, showing no sign of life besides a dim red glow within his injured eyes. The bots begin to wheel the stretcher out. Nanomon watches on in silence, his robo heart weighing heavy. The intelligent bot mutters under his breath so Dastex does not hear.

"Is that all a life is worth? The sum of our parts?"