thefolder | Anything can be a weapon if you're holding it right.

[Lotusmon turns to Alex, and she smiles, lowering the Caduceus. Her eyes also glance to Elizabeth and Baron's location; obviously, she hears him.]

Oh, are you still here? I would've thought you gave up, little humans...but well, it was so nice of you to make an entrance for me! My dear Master appreciates it.

[She twirls the Caduceus in her hand, and in the other, her nails tap on a rainbow staff. Calm, cool, collected -- like nothing can hurt her.]

[Alex listens, but she doesn't back down or show any signs of intimidation at all.]

We're remarkably bad at giving up, especially as we have no real reason to. Mind telling us who this "master" of yours is? I swear to god if it's "Mercurymon" or some shit and the rod is because of that and not any actual meaning, I'm going to blow up this whole damn world as a matter of principle.

Mercurymon is a real Digimon, you know...

I fucking hate this place, I've mentioned that, right?

I wouldn't exactly call this an entrance for you.

[She listens as well, her hands curling into fists.]

Yes. What does your master want with this castle in the first place? I assume the hostile Digimon is your doing?

['Master' doesn't sound good, and Neku puts his hoodie back on, flipping the hood up to hide his most notable physical trait: his bright orange hair.]

Come on, let's try and get behind her.

[BlackGatomon nods, and the two start carefully and quietly sneaking around. Terri, as a cat, is almost completely silent, and so moves ahead. Neku lacks her grace, but his time int he Game made him very light footed and quick]

[Lotusmon spins her Caduceus so it's between two fingers, and then puts the hand holding it to her mouth.] Oh, dear. You didn't think I'd tell you that did you? [She clicks her tongue twice.] Only when the Master says so.

[And then she inclines her head to Elizabeth, smiling with a strange mix of sugar and venom.] You'd think that, wouldn't you, little girl? [She sighs and floats along, and now her smile shows...fangs.] Dear Chosen... You have no idea what you've stumbled upon.

[And then she points the Caduceus out in front of her, right at Elizabeth.] But, well, as helpful as you've been, Master was specific. Serpent Ruin!

[A black aura glows around the Caduceus, and then flies towards the young Chosen.]

[Alex made a mental note: She was going to break that staff.

Gazimon seemed to hit upon the same idea, as she leaped forward, evolving twice in one motion, and swung her claws at the Caduceus, making an effort to sunder the thing right out the gates. She didn't make any motion to help Elizabeth, though, because that's what her own Digimon was there for.]

[Help wasn't necessary, as she and Baron quickly jumped out of the aura's way. With a glimming pink crest on her neck and a glowing Digivice, she is ready for this. Baron is ready for this. It was really time to end this chaos so everyone can go home safely.

The Dorumon is now replaced with a Chirinmon, who doesn't take it time with flapping his wings to send holy aura blasts right back towards Lotusmon.]

Maybe I would think that... Either way, we are not going to lose!

Wow...

[Blackgatomon whispers, and Neku hushes her, waiting for his chance... and seeing how the two ulitmates manage.]

[The spot where the Serpent Ruin hits practically decays. The ground cracks and breaks apart.

Lotusmon pulls back and the claws graze her Caduceus...and leave a superficial mark.] You'll have to try a little harder, dear. Serpent Ruin!

[A black aura flies and collides with a blast of holy aura, and besides that, she spins around, in circles and loops, to avoid attacks, cackling.]

Come on, I thought you Chosen were strong.

Strong? Strength is the tool of the stupid.

I'll tell you what, I'll make you an offer. Drop the caduceus right now, and leave, and we won't chase you. We'll let you leave. You can report to your master that the castle was overrun by Chosen and it was just unfeasible on sheer numbers. Hell, once we've cleaned out the castle, I doubt anyone here even wants the damn thing, so come back in a week or two and the place is probably all yours.

If you keep this up, though, I can promise you you will regret it.

[Whether or not she was bluffing was up in the air. She seemed serious, anyway. As Alex was talking and offering her the chance to leave, Bastemon appeared to be allowing the talk to happen, backing off and circling around behind Lotusmon.]

She's right. You could just leave us alone until we are done with our business here.

Just because you are a Mega level does not mean you will defeat us.

[She may be a bit naive, but she can respect those who wish to seek knowledge like Alex does. Baron holds off attack while Alex tries to talk the Lotusmon out, but that shining glimmer in his wings is obvious that he has an attack charged up.]

If you refuse to leave us be, then we will force you out!

[As Bastemon circles around, Neku tucks himself and Terri deeper into the shadows, hoping even his ally won't notice them. If they want the element of surprise it has to be all or nothing.

He does hope, though, that Alex succeeds]

[Lotusmon stops, floating still. Her lips twitch and she sighs. She's...amused.]

This Castle? Overrun by you? How far in have you been? Do you really know what's lurking in here? Do you know anything?

It's so sad, watching you make all these threats when you? You don't even know about the SCOPE Virus.

[In her hands, her rainbow staff spins.] Children shouldn't bargain when they don't know the stakes. They also shouldn't assume.

[A moan, from deeper in the castle.] Oh, dear, it looks like that's that. I wouldn't stay too long, if I were you, or the virus will get you too.

[From the Caduceus's black snake, again, an aura flies, but this time, to the ceiling--] Serpent Ruin! [--and rubble falls, all about them, as the aura crumbles any that falls near Lotusmon to dust.

The pieces of ceiling crash one by one, all around...to everyone in the area.]

[Goddamnit. Wrecking the castle to deny it to both sides had, in fact, been Alex's plan. Now Lotusmon was doing it for them. Bastemon ignored Lotusmon and charged for Alex, grabbing her and pulling her out of the way of some falling rubble. Maybe, if she was actually athletic, she would have stood a chance of dodging on her own, but sadly, there are some prices you pay to be a squishy scholar type. That's not going to keep her from shouting, though, even as Bastemon carries her around without slowing down.]

You know what, at this point, a virus would be a welcome fucking relief from hearing a pile of shitty graphics that escaped from some fetish porn site keep talking! Why are you even here, when from how you talk, you should be off choking on your oh-so-mysterious master's cock? Is this castle for your master-slave play, is that what you're into? Is that the reason you're walking around wearing nothing more than that fucked-up excuse for a bra like a street-corner hooker? Or maybe your master just got bored of you, so he sent you here into Chosen fucking central without protection and being a huge target so we'd finish you off for him? That sounds pretty likely to me, how long can a flower whore stay novel?

[Of course, she's just trying to make Lotusmon angry and keep her attention on herself. Bastemon carries Alex as she bounces around, avoiding the rubble, while Alex provides a distraction, hopefully giving her allies time to launch an attack of their own.

Now all she had to do was hope they picked up on her plan, and also that Bastemon could keep evading if Lotusmon really did start focusing on them alone.

She really, really wished she had a better plan than this.]

[Jesus christ, Alex, you are lucky that one little girl does not have the time to scold for how disgusting your language is.

When the ceiling start to crumble and fall, she quickly moves towards Baron, in which the Chirinmon dashes back to dodge any rumble. Great, they can't exactly make a break for it, but like hell they would run at this point. With Alex's distraction, they do have a chance.]

We don't know a lot, but that doesn't mean we can't learn... Whatever it takes to survive!

Holy Wave!

[It's a good thing this Ultimate has been charging for a bit, since that blast is bigger than before and heading straight towards Lotusmon.]

[Neku would have to give Alex props for her vulgarity latter. But righ tnow there's no time. He dodges some rubble, exposing himself to the girls as he yells to his partner:]

Terri! Now!

[The BlackGatomon doesn't have to ask what he means- they've been practicing. Instead she jumps, using the falling rubble to climb higher and higher as it falls. With Alex's taunts and Chirinmon's attack she hopes Lotusmon is distracted long enough as she attacks- going for the staff would be suicide, what with it spewing energy. But the Mega's delicate wrist? Maybe not so much. She dives toward Lotusmon's hand, praying surprise and a sensitive body point will balance her low power]

[Alex's tirade, now, to be honest, Lotusmon doesn't really hear the specifics of, but oh does she laugh. Congratulations, Alex. You're an amazing comedy routine.

The Mega level puts her attention on Chirinmon, directing her Caduceus and firing a Serpent--

Oh. A third Digimon. The surprise of BlackGatomon throws off her attack, now causing the black aura to slam into the ground below, followed by the Caduceus...and the Holy Wave washing over her.]

Mnng! [The attack...does a mild amount of damage.] A surprise attack, I'm absolutely flattered.

[With the cat Digimon close, Lotusmon spins around kicks her, back to the ground, back to her partner. The holy energy causes steam to rise from Lotusmon, but she takes it in stride.

The debris trickles down, concluding it's fall, and Lotusmon's other staff, the one with the rainbow topper, glows.] It looks like you children require a little more effort. Seven's Fantasia!

[A rainbow aura shines down from the staff, from Lotusmon herself, to Alex, Elizabeth, and their partners. The aura's designed to tempt them into a euphoric fantasy world to steal away their fighting spirits...and leave them defenseless.]

-- Gazimon! Drop me and go!

[That is all the time Alex has time to yell as the rainbow aura engulfs her. True to her orders, Bastemon drops her and leaps upwards... but she is caught as well, landing gracelessly right next to her.

But the aura's color is being fought, a maroon glow from Alex's hand fighting off the rainbow. Bastemon began to exert a similar-colored glow of her own as the two were trapped inside their own minds, fighting the influence.

Alex's desire was a rather simple one. She had a fancy room, lots of money, some attendants (each with several PhDs, of course, for intelligent discourse when she didn't want to ignore the world and watch comedy shows), and of course, the red stone on her desk that had been the key to immortality. She lived an unaging, hedonistic life, with challenges enough to keep her interested, never having to step foot outside to deal with the endless masses of the dull and ignorant, the ones whose very words made life itself feel like a chore. Here, she was afforded the freedom of her own home, to do anything she pleased, to experiment away or to sit and simply laze about for huge stretches of time. Even if she did nothing, she was recognized as the smartest, and she was content.

Gazimon- No, she was no longer Gazimon. What she was now was the legendary Super-Ultimate, a Digimon so mighty even the Royal Knights and Demon Lords in concert could not stand against her. She had trounced all challengers, and now she sat on her throne in a castle that once belonged to a digital tyrant of ages past. That no longer mattered, though, now it was hers and hers alone. She smirked to herself- The whole Digital World feared her, discussing her name in hushed whispers. She who hadn't needed a Chosen to evolve this far...

... A Chosen?

This castle... had once been overrun with Chosen. She remembered that. She had a fierce battle here, against...

Bastemon's eyes slid back into focus, just for an instant. She saw her partner lost in a dream, and the maroon glow flickering...

But they had defeated their foe

The Caduceus lay on the ground...

She who hadn't needed a Chosen

Bastemon grimaced. With a loud shout, she grabbed Alex and held her tightly, the maroon glow flickering...

"Human, wake up!"

Alex looked up from her work. That voice had sounded familiar, but who would ever call someone 'human'? You'd have to be... inhuman...

Alex's eyes focused. Digimon. The monster in front of her was...

What had she been thinking of? She had no business with anything not human, so nothing would call her that. No business... Especially not unfinished business.

Unfinished business...

The faltering maroon glow intensified once more, Alex's eyes slowly moving to the Caduceus on the ground.

It was not worth pursuing the thought-

It absolutely was. Her desire was consumed by fury, itself becoming desire to destroy that false staff in front of her. Her Crest, fueled by this new desire, fought the influence of the rainbow aura, releasing Alex and Bastemon, the latter smirking at the enemy. Back in the fight by Alex's anger, Alex took a bottle from her bag and threw it at the Caduceus on the ground, the bottle expanding into a great fireball, as Bastemon followed up with her claws to tear the thing apart if it survived the explosion. As Alex had desired, they were destroying that false symbol, and now they turned their attention to the one who wielded it, surely no match for them now. With her claws, Bastemon rent Lotusmon in half, while Alex made sure the rest of the group was unharmed...

Their desire satisfied with their assault on the staff, the Crest of Desire had dimmed, and the fantasy had taken them once more. This time, though, the Crest's energies were spent...]

Elizabeth!

[There was no way for her to dodge that rainbow aura to consume her and her digimon. Baron tries to cover her in his wings, but there was nothing he can do to stop the attack.

Her fantasy world, in simple terms, is that she is home. With her family and fiancé at her side. Everyone is happy, the scenery is nothing but elegance and cute, almost it was like a party for Elizabeth. She was dancing with Ciel in the ballroom, her brother forcing a grin on his face to try not to step in and be the overprotective brother Elizabeth knows. Hands in hands, twirling in a simple waltz. It's the life that she desires: a perfect life where there is nothing wrong in the world. She with Ciel, who is actually smiling for once.]

Elizabeth.

[That voice... She froze in middle of dancing, looking around the ballroom. And there it was, a giant Digimon sitting in the corner, which is obviously the largest thing in the ballroom. It was like a dragon in knight's armor, shining greatly in the bright lights of the room. Elizabeth tries to pull away to answer her summons, but her hands would not let go from Ciel's. Right when his voice spoke up, other voices joined in rhythm like it was a haunting echo. It was a rain of questions, the voices are almost mixing in with each other.]

Lizzy? Is something wrong?
This is what you wanted, so don't pull away now!
The party is still going, so we have plenty of time.
Elizabeth!
Lizzy!
Stay!

Enough!

[She forced her hands out of Ciel and ran towards the other side, looking up at the Mega digimon. It seems so different, but that voice is no mistake... He came with her from the Digital World after she left, and his presence made her family the strongest force of the British Knights. In a sense, with him, Queen Victoria and these knights are unstoppable.

The digimon, on the other hand, had terrible feelings right to the start. Everything seemed too happy, too safe yet he remembers that he was in the middle of something. It should be a mess around them and these people weren't here before. Something is missing...]

Baron...

Elizabeth.

I- Wake up!

I am awake! No, you are not! Wake up! People are in danger!

[Danger...

People are in danger. There was another large Digimon in a ruined castle and-

People are in danger.

The pink crest on her neck glows once more, that need is back again. She always wanted to stay as a cute little girl, to be dote on and treated like a princess. However, her mother didn't raise her that way and the "mother" here is influencing her to be what she didn't raise her to be. This world is off, but there is that need. The need to protect someone, the need to fight to the death for smiles to return to faces.

It's truly a need of Kindness.

This need is what will break her out of this fantasy, the current situation suddenly remembered. The others are defenseless and she needs to be the one to protect them. Baron is back as Chirinmon, or out of the realization that he is still in his Ultimate form. Right, there is also Lotusmon. Elizabeth didn't directly look at her, but those feelings of desire to protect people and fight for happiness, the ways of Kindness, are feelings that is really overcoming her. She does miss being cute and innocent, but hurt her "friends" and you are just adding fuel to the flames.]

You... Lay a single finger on either of these two or their Digimon, and I will cut them clean off! Baron!

Knowledge of the Swift!

[Baron's body divided up into two Chirinmons, one is an illusion that can still deal some damage while the other is normal. The two copies headed straight towards Lotusmon, to give time for Elizabeth to run over to Alex and shake her awake. She's the other Ultimate user and definitely needs her for the fight, even with fighting this fantasy. Of course, if Lotusmon ever decides to attack her, Elizabeth is going to be taking that hit.]

Wake up! She's tricking you, so wake up!

[Neku doesn't notice the girls fighting, struggling for their minds. When Lotusmon attacks BlackGatomon he's running, diving to catch her. She's flying so fast that it knocks him back, into the wall, stone crumbling half on them both.

The cat digimon is a ball of crackling energy, about to devolve. In fact, Neku can see flashes of green under her black coat.]

Hold on! We're getting out of here!

[The girls... they could handle it, right? Sure, sure. He would get Terri out of here so she could revert and heal.

But instead the cat squirms weakly out of his arms, her tail lashing as she stands]

They're...stuck... gotta help...

You're not strong enough, dumbass!

You don't get to decide that!

[Neku freezes, remembering his arguement with Cam, what Sora said to him... about it not being about pride. It's like a punch to the gut]

Trust me

[He trembles with fear and rage... finally dropping his head in surrender.]

...be careful.

[She nods, and as she runs to rejoin the battle Neku's crest glows softly, easing some of the crackle on his partners body... eventually making it grow and twist. She doesn't call out her evolution, and Neku can barely bring himself to watch as the now Bastemon leaps at her foes back, just as the other Ultimate fires his attack. She doesn't care if he hits her as well, or if Lotusmon see her attack. If she can just open her pale flesh a little, make her bleed... the other Bastemon, her twin, could draw out the blood with her dance and finish this. That is all she's thinking as she jumps at the Mega's back, claws and teeth gleaming]

[Lotusmon has heard of the Chosen. She's heard of these things, their crests. So as they all react, in different ways, even as her Caduceus is destroyed, even as both the illusion and real Chirinmon tackle her, even as Bastemon's claws dig into her back, she

she laughs. She laughs, half in amazement and half in hysterics, as a little blood runs down her back, a result of the Bastemon's claws.]

Oh, oh yes... Yes, my Master... He will be so pleased. [She spins her rainbow staff, to try and throw Bastemon and Chirinmon away from her, even as their attacks cause her pain, actual pain, and a tiny smile stays on her lips.]

You're all just as we heard you'd be, all of you. [Her voice is a hissed breath of pure ecstasy.

And the fantasies, if Alex and her partner fight, can be escaped from.]

[To be honest, despite all current evidence to the contrary, Alex isn't much of one for fighting. She would much rather be lazy, and it would be such a pain the finish the job...

But that's just it. There was a job that needed to be finished. Once you've woken up from a dream, no matter how much you wish it, you can never see that same dream again. Similarly, having returned to reality, even for a moment, Alex and Bastemon knew their fantasies were fake. But even if they were fake, was it really worth bothering coming out of? This fantasy was more fulfilling than reality had ever been...

She took one more look at her illusion. This was just a fantasy... One day, though, it would be her reality. She knew it. She would damn well make sure it happened. This was what she deserved. But... speaking of deserving, there was someone she owed a beating.

Elizabeth's words reach her, and Alex's eyes shift back into focus once more, dispelling the rainbow aura. She grabbed Elizabeth, pulling her behind her, then began to dig through her satchel for her remaining supplies. One cocktail, one can of petrol, bleach, ammonia, a few other assorted chemicals... She'd have to make due with the fire. They would never make Lotusmon bleed enough for Vampire Dance to finish the job. And this other Bastemon- Whose? That wasn't important now- Was clearly already on the brink of death. They were already this exhausted while they had just managed to make Lotusmon bleed. It was time to cheat.

She pulled the can of gasoline out of her bag and threw it to her Bastemon, who caught it, opened it with her claws, and charged Lotusmon with it, before hurling it at her as close as she could, getting as much on the flower Digimon as she could.]

All three of you, hold her still even if it kills you. We'll win yet.

[She isn't sure if Alex's idea would work, but she has to trust her in this. One false move and they could all be killed in an instant. She puts her fingers in her mouth, blowing a loud whistle to Baron.

The Chirinmon knew exactly what that mean and Alex's demands, controlling his illusion for one more use before casting it away. The "two" fly behind her, the large jaws of the chirin just biting down on each of Lotusmon's arms. Even if they get a little soak with the gasoline, what matters is that the Mega goes down.]

Brace yourself! And back off when she throws it!

[Terri growls in agreement, though Neku looks horrified at what Alex is doing. The reek of the gas makes him want to gag, and he has to literally bite his hand to stop himself from calling his partner away.

Bastemon keeps clawing at her foe, trying to cling to her back and sink her huge teeth into her]

[Chirinmon and his illusion both hold Lotusmon's arms. Alex's Bastemon charges. Neku's digs into her back. Her rainbow staff falls from her hands.

And through this all, she smirks, absolutely deranged, at the oncoming Bastemon and laughs under her breath.]

Come on... Come on!

[The molotov cocktail hits, though the other partners may have time to get away. A scream mixes with Lotusmon's laughter, though her gleeful expression never leaves, even as it lights her aflame.

The fire continues to burn, and she sinks to the ground, slowly, her laughter dying from a cackle to a low chuckle.

Notably, she doesn't burst into data. She's still alive.]

Anything can be a weapon if you're holding it right.

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