Let's reach 250 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
I groan, my head throbbing like a drum solo. Disorientation pulls me under. The world swims back into focus, but it's tilted at a weird angle. The train car is flipped on its side, the ceiling now a mangled floor. Bodies are everywhere, sprawled amidst the wreckage. I can't tell if they're alive or… not.
Panic flares in my chest. Gotta get my bearings.
I blink, trying to clear the fog. My arms feel heavy, weighed down. I look down and see Gwen cradled in my embrace, her eyes closed, her face pale. I must have thrown myself in front of her when the explosion hit.
"Gwen? Gwen, you okay?" I ask, my voice cracking. I gently shake her shoulder. "Gwen, can you hear me?"
She doesn't respond. My heart hammers against my ribs. I check her pulse, my fingers fumbling against her neck. Relief washes over me as I feel a faint but steady beat. Okay, she's alive. But she's still out cold.
I gently pull her away from the wreckage, checking her for any obvious injuries. No blood, no visible broken bones. Thank God for small miracles. Whatever hit this train hit hard, but it seems like I shielded her from the worst of it.
"Gwen, wake up," I urge, gently slapping her cheek. "Come on, Gwen, please."
Still nothing.
I lift her head and see that her breathing is steady. She's unresponsive, but seems unharmed.
Alright, time to get to work. I yank out my Digivice, the screen cracked from the blast, but still functioning.
"Gatomon! BlackGatomon! Agumon! Gabumon! Cutemon!"
A flash of light erupts, and my partners materialize around me in a swirl of data.
"Ethan, are you okay?" Gatomon asks, her voice laced with concern.
BlackGatomon circles me, her crimson eyes scanning the surroundings. "What the hell happened here?"
Agumon and Gabumon step forward, their battle instincts kicking in. "Brother, are you alright?" Gabumon asks.
"I'm fine, guys," I assure them, waving off their concerns. "Just a little shaken up. Gwen's out cold, but she's breathing."
My gaze hardens as I survey the disaster zone. "Agumon, Gabumon, Gatomon, BlackGatomon, you guys protect our surroundings. Cutemon, get to healing the injured. I got a feeling there is someone that needs our help."
Cutemon nods seriously, his ears drooping. "Okay, Ethan, chu! I'll do my best, chu!" The little pink ball of fluff rushes off to the nearest injured person, a faint glow emanating from his body.
Agumon sniffs the air, his nose twitching. "I smell it. A Digimon was just here. It smells evil."
"Alright, you heard the man. Let's move," Gatomon says, taking charge.
BlackGatomon smirks. "Finally, something to sink my claws into."
Agumon and Gabumon nod, their expressions grim. "We'll find anyone who needs help, Brother," Gabumon states, his voice earnest.
With a final look at me, Gatomon, BlackGatomon, Agumon, and Gabumon head off to assess the damage and search for more survivors.
I watch Cutemon go to work, a soft pink light surrounding him as he moves from person to person. It's oddly comforting to see him working so efficiently amid the chaos.
"Ugh… what happened?" a weak voice asks.
I turn my attention back to Gwen, who's starting to stir. Her eyes flutter open, confusion clouding her gaze. "Ethan?"
"Hey, you're awake," I say, relieved. "You okay?"
She groans, gingerly touching her head. "My head is pounding. What was that?"
"Looks like there was some kind of explosion," I reply, trying to sound as clueless as possible. "The train derailed. We're lucky to be alive, honestly."
Groans and coughs fill the air as other passengers begin to regain consciousness. The initial shock seems to be wearing off, replaced by confusion and fear.
Gwen tries to sit up straighter, then pulls out her phone. "I need to call my dad," she mumbles, tapping at the screen. "I can't get a signal. And what's with this…?" She frowns, fiddling with her phone. "It's all glitchy."
Cutemon bounces back to me, his expression bright. "Everyone's all better, chu!" he announces. "All healed up, chu!"
Gwen's eyes widen as she takes in the sight of Cutemon. "What is that?" she asks, pointing a shaky finger at the Digimon.
I feign surprise, trying my best to look like I have no clue what's going on. "Oh, that little guy? When I woke up, he was just kinda… there. Seemed to be helping everyone out. Pretty weird, huh?" I subtly gesture to Cutemon to play along, hoping he gets the message.
Cutemon beams at Gwen. "Hi, hi, chu!" he chirps. "I'm Cutemon, chu! Nice to meet you, chu!"
"H-hi," Gwen replies, her voice shaky. She stares, mouth agape, at the tiny pink bunny, unable to wrap her mind around what she sees.
A chorus of panicked voices rises from the other passengers.
"What do we do?"
"Are we trapped?"
"Is anyone hurt?"
"We gotta get outta here!"
I take a deep breath and try to project an air of calm, the exact opposite of what I'm feeling. It's time to take charge. I can't let the situation dissolve into pandemonium. "Alright, everyone, listen up!" I shout, my voice surprisingly strong. "Let's all try to stay calm. We need to get out of this train, but we gotta do it in an orderly fashion. Nobody push, nobody shove."
I point to a group of men. "You guys, help me get that door open. Everyone else, stay back. We'll get everyone out one at a time." I look at the other adults. "Adults, please assist the children and the elderly first. Let's get them out of here and to safety."
Surprisingly, everyone listens. They're scared, sure, but they're also looking for direction. I guess in times like these, people are willing to follow anyone who seems like they know what they're doing. I sure hope I do.
As we work to pry open the doors, Gatomon, BlackGatomon, Agumon, and Gabumon return, their faces grim.
"We've searched the whole train," Gatomon reports, "but we haven't found the Digimon."
"Not a trace," BlackGatomon confirms. "It's like it vanished into thin air."
Gwen's jaw drops. "A… baby dinosaur? And a wolf with a horn on its head?" Her eyes dart between Agumon, Gabumon, Gatomon, and BlackGatomon. "And those… cats? Aren't those your pets, Ethan? What are they doing here? And they can talk?!"
I sigh internally. This is getting complicated. "Look, Gwen, there's no time to explain," I say, trying to steer her away from the topic. "We need to move. We need to find a way out of these tunnels, and we need to do it now."
With Gatomon and the others in the lead, the survivors and I began to walk through the tunnel. We need to find an exit now. It is too dangerous to stay here. The injured get the support they need to travel. The group is staring at the Digimon in curiosity, as if they were in a zoo. This is a comic book world now, I guess that they're bound to see more.
Gwen grabs my arm and pulls me aside, away from the crowd. "Ethan, what the hell is going on? What are those things? What's your relationship to them? Are they dangerous? Are we safe?"
I sigh, running a hand through my hair. I want to tell her. But there's no time. "Gwen, I promise I'll explain everything later. Right now, we need to get everyone out of here. I'll tell you what's going on, but now isn't the time."
I pull out my Digivice, scanning the area. Nothing. There should be a signal. This doesn't make any sense.
Suddenly, the Digivice pings, a loud, shrill noise that echoes through the tunnel. It's back. And heading straight for us.
"Everyone, get down!" I yell, shoving Gwen behind me. "It's coming!"
Before anyone can react, the wall in front of us explodes. The concrete shatters, sending chunks of debris flying through the air. People scream, diving for cover.
Through the dust and smoke, I see it, a gigantic mole-like figure. Armor plates cover its joints, giving it a sense of both power and flexibility. But the most striking feature is the massive steel drill extending from its snout. It's like a walking construction machine. Smaller drills act as claws on its hands and feet. It eyes the crowd, as if sizing up the situation.
I put on my Digi-Goggles and scanned the new Digimon.
[Drimogemon]
[Level: Champion]
[Type: Beast]
[Attribute: Data]
[Special Move: Drill Spin, Crusher Bone]
[A Digimon that moves through the earth at high speeds with the giant drill on its nose. Drimogemon stays deep in the earth, so only a rare few meet it. Docile and easily embarrassed, yet it enjoys a good prank, often taking Garurumon's favorite bone it buried in the ground and hiding it someplace else. Its special move Drill Spin attacks foes with its giant drill, and Crusher Bone throws a bone it stole from Garurumon.]
"Drimogemon…"
[New Mission Available: Defeat Drimogemon!]
[Reward: 10x Supply Boxes]
***
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