Chapter Thirty-One: The Dragon Emerges

“Energy Burst.” Talmon panted weakly, spitting the energy ball at Alice.
Alice dodged at the last second, allowing it to hit the floor.
Aleena felt a smile spread across her lips despite the pain as she saw her partner standing up for her. He truly was her best friend.
Talmon slowly stood up, walking over. “No one hurts Aleena, no one,” he stated flatly, his furry brow furrowed into the most serious glare she had ever seen from the excitable rabbit.
At her hip, Aleena felt her Digivice flailing about. Looking down, she saw sky blue lights dancing out from it. The knife in her wrist twisted and she gasped in pain, although it was difficult to understand how more pain could be caused at this point. As she opened her mouth, a tornado of blue energy erupted and flew straight at Talmon, wrapping around him and encasing him in a Digivolution egg.

“I should…” Simon began, appearing from the shadows.
“No.” Alice glared at her partner but half-sighed as she looked at the little pink orb. “I’ll deal with him. You go somewhere else and watch my back.”
Simon looked sad but Alice’s will was unwavering and eventually Simon flapped his little wings and bounced away.

Aleena groaned in pain, the Digivice still shaking violently on her waist.
“If I’m correct, your First Vector provides denser muscles, particularly in the upper body.” Alice clenched her fist, flexing her biceps. “Mine increases the elastic potential in my muscles. It may sound weird at first but I’ll show you on Talmon.” She smiled kindly, it almost seemed sincere. “There was no way I could have used this on my baby sister.” With a thud of her foot on the ground, she moved into a steadfast fighting stance.

“I’m not finished!” Aleena growled furiously, trying to push herself back up. Planting her hands on the ground, she pushed, ignoring the searing pains in her wrist. As soon as she did, the muscles in her right arm gave way and she fell back on to the floor with a thump.
Alice looked back, and softly said, “You are. It’s okay.” She then turned back to the Digivolution egg. “Believe in your partner. She waved her hand and all of the knives flew in front of her. The ones embedded in Aleena flew out, releasing spurts of blood and then they all formed a circle in front of Alice.
Aleena screamed in profuse agony. Her mind was swimming, circling the drain. She couldn’t think straight and her vision was swapping between blurred and pure darkness as blood spurted from the holes in her body.
Alice’s knives spun slowly and then dispersed into dust, becoming invisible. With a flash, pink lightning danced up and down Alice’s body and then vanished without a trace.

Aleena growled in pain, clamping her hand over her wrist and looking down at her leg. Now she had calmed down, Aleena noticed her bleeding wasn’t too bad and the pain was more like the ebb and flow of the tide. She had to find some way to stem the blood flow. Aleena grabbed her t-shirt and tore off one of the sleeves, ripping it to make a bandage. Tyler definitely wasn’t having this t-shirt back now. Grimacing through the pain of her injured hand, she tied the fabric tightly around her thigh. Hissing in pain, she felt the pain shift into a dull throb. Calmly, Aleena clamped her hand back over her wrist and tried to ignore the pain she was in. That alone was a behemoth task at the moment but she quickly planned to cover it up next with the other sleeve. The other injuries were less severe; she could ignore them for now.

* * *

Talmon burst out of his egg, having changed a lot. He was now bipedal and looked a lot like a young human boy. Like Taran, really. Being only five feet tall and not very muscular, he didn’t think this form was as impressive as the other Champion Digimon had previously been. However, he remembered that quote from a movie that big things can come in small packages. A gust of wind brushed his almost naked pale body. He would kill her for hurting Aleena.
Alice shot towards him, much faster than he was expecting. She was like a jaguar, pouncing on her prey.
With agility he almost didn’t recognise, he leapt through the air. His faded dark blue cape fluttered about behind him, a gentle reminder that it was there. Narrowing his eyes as he landed on top of the staircase, he tugged the golden string holding the cape on, tightening it. This was awesome. He was a Champion!

Looking through the messy brown hair that covered his eyes, he watched as she pounced upon him again—reminding him faintly of a rabbit, which was kind of cute, considering the fact that he had a little rabbit tail poking through the back of his shorts—however he easily flipped over the top of her and back onto the cold metal ground with his new-fangled swiftness. His new name, he remembered it. “Taimon!” he announced.
Alice burst back towards him, swinging her arm out. Iron filings extending from her fist, striking Taimon and knocking him backwards. Now, that, he hadn’t expected.

The level Alice was fighting at was entirely different to how she had been fighting earlier. He had to just hope that he really was a big thing in a small package.
Alice burst forwards with such speed and ferocity that Taimon couldn’t react in time. Her fist flew into him, throwing him all the way across the vast room and into the wall. The room shook from the force and he felt the pain erupt across his small body. Dust fell from the ceiling but Kayran and Tracy, who were nearby now, didn’t respond.
Alice breathed deeply, looking tired as her chest thudded up and down and sweat dripped from her brow.
Taimon got back up, shaking off the attack. He had to keep fighting for Aleena’s sake.

“Finish it,” Kayran yelled, tapping away.
Alice waved her hand, sighing and a knife appeared. She walked over slowly as Taimon raised his hand.
“Eleven Dragon Magic!” The blue rabbit tattoo on his chest illuminated and then a glyph appeared on his palm, unleashing eleven smoky dragons as it expanded outwards into the air. He hoped to stop her before she got close but Alice didn’t pause for a second, flipping backwards as the dragons tore into the ground in an attempt to ensnare her limber form.

After her fourth flip to get away, she propelled herself high into the air, out of his range and waved her hand to form ten knives. Tossing the one already in her hand into the air, she then flicked her wrist to unleash all eleven knives on different, arcing paths.

Taimon tried to think quickly, following the knives as best he could. She hadn’t given him more than he could handle with his dragons, which was strange, but it was still difficult to determine how they were actually going to come at him. He waved his hand and decided to do away with the dragons, placing his hands onto the floor and digging his nails into a groove between the metal panels. He got a good grip with his feet and then reared up on all fours. “Dragon Soul,” he roared in a primal fashion. A dark blue glyph appeared in front of his body and a bone shattering roar was unleashed from it. The sheer volume of sound created a cone of air pressure that caught all the knives, shaking them in the air as they struggled against it before they fell to the floor, having lost momentum.

Alice put both arms in front of her face as a metal shield formed in front of her. The shield was quickly forced backwards into her, knocking her further into the air.
Taimon sprinted across the ground and surged up at her, swinging his fist. He was like some sort of jetpack man with this jump. It was so cool!
Alice reached out, catching his fist with her hands, as her feet touched the roof. Letting go of Taimon before he could even think about getting back down, Alice tensed her legs and burst downwards like a javelin, crashing her head into Taimon’s stomach and knocking him into the ground with another attack that shook the entire room.

This time, Taimon resolved he wouldn’t let her get the upper hand again. Flipping to his feet, he ran at her. “Eleven Dragon Magic!” The dragons erupted as he continued to run, stretching out towards her.
Alice hopped backwards as the dragons dived towards her with ease, not even seeming phased as he used every trick he could think of. With a flick of her wrist, she lifted up the metal panel beneath Taimon’s feet, flicking him into the air.
Dispelling the dragons, he rolled into a ball and angled his head away from Alice. “Dragon Soul.” Roaring, he sent himself flying towards her.
Alice grimaced and conjured a metal pole, holding it out.
Taimon opened his body up as he reached her and grabbed onto the pole. Flipping over her, while pulling the pole against her neck, he booted her in the back and roared again, shooting Alice across the room in a tumble of limbs as she tried to right herself.

Alice smirked as she rolled to her feet. “You’re just like Aleena.” Snorting, she giggled. “You always have another trick up your sleeve.” She wasn’t even taking this seriously!
“Don’t fraternise. Just eliminate!” Kayran roared angrily.
Alice shrugged, her smile vanishing and her face becoming a pale blank slate. “I’ll cut this short, I’m sorry but it’s necessary.”
Taimon had no idea what she was on about. He was clearly the one who was in the lead in this current battle of the strength, let alone the fact that she was just a human. How on earth did she expect to compete with a champion, even if she did have weird metal powers?

Alice threw the last of her iron filings out of her pouch, and lifted her arms. All of the little sparkles of metal lifted up, including the eleven knives, and they warped quickly into a multitude of small needles. There was far too many to count and no way Dragon Soul could stop this. He had little hope left to avoid it either with them almost covering the entire width and height of the room.

Iron abruptly appeared around Taimon’s wrists, ankles and neck, dragging him to the wall and pinning him against it. Panicking, he pulled, his body straining against the restraints but they wouldn’t even give a tiny bit. So, now he couldn’t even fight back. Okay, maybe she was able to compete with a champion but there had to be a way he could stop her.

Kayran turned around, laughing. “This is the true power of the one you have defied.” He turned to Aleena. “If you had just obeyed, I wouldn’t have to kill you like the dog you are.” Then he glanced at Taimon. “And I don’t need to say that all Digimon are feral animals that need to either be used for our benefit or put down.”
“Don’t talk to him like that!” Aleena screamed, thumping the ground. “I’ll kill you!”
“Aleena, you won’t.” Taimon looked at Kayran. “Because I’ll beat you to it.”
“You’ll need to defeat me first,” Alice said, throwing her arms down to her side and launching all the needles at once.
The attack came fast and he panicked.  

Taimon watched Aleena try to get up and help and felt guilty. He had promised to protect her and now she was going to have to protect him. No. He was going to make it stop. The needles burst through his Digital body, tearing through his flesh and releasing streams of data that swirled up to the roof. Howling, he tried to find a way to think about anything other than the pain he was in but it was impossible. His head was swimming in an ocean of agony and he just felt too weak to go on. Then the needles began to spin, clockwise and then counter clockwise. He roared, trying to do anything other than just survive but even that seemed impossible as they bored deeper.

The needles tugged free and slowly returned to Alice, sliding back into her pouch, smoothly followed by the cuffs dispersing into filings again.
Taimon fell to the ground, barely able to move amongst the fresh rubble, as his whole body ached. How come he hadn’t Dedigivolved? Was he able to keep going? It seemed impossible to move an inch right now, never mind fight. But he was going to have to. It was for Aleena. This was the battle of the century.
“It’s done,” Alice announced. She almost seemed sad about it. Why had she gone so hard if she hadn’t wanted to win?
“You may leave.” Kayran’s voice again. He wasn’t even going to say well done? He was truly awful.
Taimon didn’t regret them leaving anymore. Killing Kayran was the only thing he wanted to do now, and this was going to be his best chance if he could get Alice out of the way.

He coughed and got back to his feet. Looking over at Aleena, Taimon saw the look of sheer relief and then he looked at Alice as she walked away. He wouldn’t sneak attack her. He was going to beat her fair and square. Pointing his little fist, he yelled, “Alice!”
She turned back to look at him, raising an eyebrow. “You got back up?”
Taimon leapt forwards and then into the air. “Dragon Soul!”
Alice barely had time to throw some filings out and create a shield before both she and her shield were thrown back against the stairs.

Running across the room, the sound of his bare feet slapping across the ground, he prepared to continue his attack before she could get up again.
Alice smiled briefly, throwing out more filings and making the shield, and them, disperse into the air. Placing her arms and legs behind her, she thrust hard away from the wall, launching herself at Taimon.

Taimon leapt into the air. “Dragon Soul.”
Alice formed a shield and then flipped over it, vaulting herself upwards to meet him. She swung her leg up as she neared Taimon, a metal coating forming on her limb as it was about to connect with his face.
Opening his mouth, he roared at full volume, “Dragon Soul!” The attack blew them apart, throwing him into the roof and her into the ground. Bouncing off the roof, like she had, he opened his mouth again as she got back up. “Dragon Soul!”
Alice back flipped away and then leapt into the air, flicking her wrist to create and launch a hammer at Taimon.
Moving to the side, he caught it and hurled it back.
Alice laughed and clicked her fingers, turned it into filings as it reached her. “You’re doing really good, but you won’t win by playing around.”
Taimon kept his focus, not allowing the goading to get him annoyed.

Alice knelt down and then burst forwards, flying at him.
This was it. He had to use his last resort. “Dragon Form!” Taimon yelled. It was going to wipe him out quickly but it was the only way to take her on head to head. Energy flew outwards from his body, coating him and then spreading out further and further.
Alice’s fist collided with the faint red energy that had formed but didn’t even form a small indent. The energy cloak shimmered, turning golden and forming the shape of a dragon as Alice ran backwards. A snout and claws formed, linked to how his own body moved.

“This is something new; even to me.” Alice laughed, throwing out more iron filings from her pouch. “I may have to actually go sixty percent against you.”
Taimon was no longer prepared to play along, even if she was. He had to end this. “I’ll make you pay for what you did to Aleena!” He flew forwards, raising his right fist. The right arm of the dragon lifted up, the claws closing in to create a fist. Wings rippled from the back of the dragon, flapping to speed him up.
Alice waved her hand in a complicated pattern, unfazed by the attack, and a huge chain appeared. It wrapped around the dragon’s arm and as he tried to move his own arm, he found that he couldn’t. Before he could even try and escape, the chain dug into the wall.

He roared loudly and angrily, trying to tear the arm free but it was as if his real arm was stuck in the wall and every tug caused him immense pain to his already injured body.
Alice created more chains, pinning the other arm down into the ground and then his legs too.

Taimon was stuck; there was no way he could escape and while he was using this ability, he couldn’t use any of his other attacks. He had never felt so vulnerable. Waiting for her to make a decision on whether he would live or die was bone chilling. A little like a horror movie. Or maybe more like a thriller. Cursing himself for getting lost in a tangent, he watched Alice cover her mouth, coughing blood into it.

“I’m sorry, but I have to finish this.” Alice clenched her fist tightly and a gigantic bullet formed, facing him. Breathing in, she thrust her arm forwards and the projectile flew out towards him.
Simon bounced out of the shadows “Alice, you have to—” The little Digimon passed out, exhausted.  
Alice fell to her knees, her legs too weak to hold her up. “Dammit!”

Taimon pulled with his arms, desperate to block the attack. He wasn’t sure if the weaker belly of the energy dragon would be enough. The ground and the walls were torn up as he tugged, but his arms wouldn’t come free. Clenching his eyes shut, he willed the energy to somehow defend him.

Sharp stabbing pains flew through his bottom and he opened his eyes to see the energy dragon’s tail flicked out in front, the bullet embedded into it. The tail swished, knocking the bullet out, as data trickled out from his shorts. So this shroud wasn’t invulnerable, after all.

With one final tug, he freed his arms and legs, the chains and a chunk of the wall remaining attached. Panting, he felt nothing but exhaustion. His mind drifted to lazy days in front of the television and of a warm bed.

“Well?” Alice yelled. “You giving up?”
Snapping his eyes open he looked at her as she slowly stood back up and conjured a longsword into her hands, gripping it firmly. Looking down at his own hands, he watched the data swirl about. He had to do this. Clenching his fists, he charged at her, the wings beating in the air as he neared her. The ability vanished as he reached her and the chains thudded to the ground, leaving him feeling so vulnerable, so naked.

Alice immediately brought the sword down on him.
Darting to the side and with a grimace of pain, he flipped and kicked skyward, catching her in the face and knocking her back into stumble. Taking his chance as he landed, he bounded forwards, sinking his little fist into her chest and then her gut. Moving back, afraid of retaliation, he watched.
Alice staggered slightly and then dropped her sword, following it soon after with a thud to the ground.
Taimon grinned. He had done it! What a rush! Then tickling spread across his body and he looked at his little hands to see data orbs flying away from his body. That was right. He was exhausted. Closing his eyes, he fell to the ground.

“Pathetic.” Lord Kayran snatched a glare at Alice before looking back at them. “All of you.” Cracking his knuckles, he said, “If you want something done correctly, I guess you must do it yourself.” He pulled out a revolver, popping open the barrel, spinning it, and snapping it back into place. “Three bullets, so one each. No need to share.”
Talmon gathered his strength and lifted his paw. “Seven Dragon Magic.” However, the attack fizzled and crackled, just barely producing a single dragon. Ahead, he spotted a shiny object. The dragon darted towards it, picking up a fallen needle Alice had forgotten to turn back to filings in her haste. The dragon fizzled in and out of existence rapidly and he quickly realised he couldn’t do it alone. But he didn’t have to. “Aleena, catch!” he tossed the needle to her.

Aleena got up, screaming in pain, and caught the needle. With a spin on her right heel, she hurled it at the tank, piercing the container holding Leomon. Alarms began to blare and then Aleena fell onto her knees, panting. He had to go over and help her, and stop Kayran, but he could barely stay conscious.

Kayran shouted in German at Tracy, who shouted back, and then he turned and aimed his gun at Aleena.
Talmon panicked, trying to get up and stop it but every attempt ended with him falling back flat on his face like a pathetic waste of space. He couldn’t let this happen not now. Not after all they had been through!
“You will pay!” he yelled, squeezing the trigger.
“No!” Talmon screamed, hysterical. He couldn’t lose her! This could not happen!

“Leaf Dance.” A wall of leaves gathered in front of Aleena, absorbing the bullet into their ranks and then they separated, flying at Kayran and exploding as Rori, Chrysanthemon, Tyler and Idolonmon rushed in.
Idolonmon flew over to him, picking him up.
Talmon relaxed in the devil Digimon’s arms, exhausted. He was grateful for their friends, as much as he knew Aleena would be embarrassed.

“Aleena!” Rori gasped.
Talmon was set down by her side as Aleena coughed.
“This?” she smiled weakly. “It’s nothing.” Looking up, she nodded. “Free Leomon, I’ll hold Kayran off.” Just how she thought she would do that was baffling but Talmon knew how stubborn she was.
“You can barely stand.” Tyler placed his hand on her shoulder. “Let us handle this.”
Aleena shook her head, forcing herself up. Tears rolled down her cheeks as she clenched her teeth. “See, I’m fine,” she said, her voice strained. As she shook a bit, Rori caught her, slipping under her arm and holding her steady.

“Aleena, you can’t stand. Please, I don’t want to see you hurt!” Rori begged, struggling to hold the other girl up.
“It’s fine. I’ve got these.” Aleena shakily withdrew three body enhancing pills.
“Aleena in your state if you use them you could die!” Rori exclaimed.
“Don’t you dare!” Talmon yelled, trying to get up.
Aleena tossed them into her mouth and knocked her head back.
“No!” Rori screamed, grabbing at her throat.
Aleena lowered her head back down and opened her mouth. “Time to.” She hobbled away from Rori. “Kick his ass.”

“I didn’t think I’d need your assistance too. But now is the time.” Lord Kayran called, walking out from the smoke almost unscathed. His humanity was definitely in question now. How could a human not even be remotely hurt by that attack? And who was he calling for?
“As you wish, sir.” The voice announced from behind Leomon’s broken tank, accompanied by quiet footsteps.