Chapter 8 - Iron Veggiemon (Pt.2)

"If we only had a rope or something, we could climb down." Matt said, still staring off the cliff.
"A rope, right. I'll go look for one." Gabumon said, turning to wander off and find a rope. The jackrabbit-digimon, however, barred his path.
"You don't need a rope. We'll just hold on to each other and you can climb down the bunny slope." one said.
"That's a great idea," Gabumon complimented, "Let's go." They turned to go, but were suddenly bombarded by pink digi-sludge. Redvegiemon and his troops were back.
"Ha. No body is going anywhere." He chided.
"I'm gonna take that over grown tomato and make him into vegetable soup!" Veemon said. Redvegimon laughed and sauntered forward a few paces, "I'm gonna make vegetarians around the world proud, that should perk you up." Veemon pelted towards the enemy, but his attempted Veeheadbutt was eliminated and he was forced into the air by Redvegimon's roots.
"And now for a side dish: chili pepper pummel!" Redvegimon burped and shot red stuff that burst into flame on impact at Veemon's face. Seeing that he needed help, Nekomon raced forward to take the rest of the attack. The Redvegimon just laughed again and pushed Nekomon with all his might. She went sailing right towards the edge of the cliff.
"Nekomon, no!" Azukia shouted, leaping forward to catch her. But Nekomon's velocity was too much and Azukia went flying of the cliff with her.
"Azukia!" Ashi screamed. They all raced over to look at the edge of the cliff. Azukia was dangling several feet below with one hand clutching a branch and the other holding Nekomon. As they watched, an ice blue light burst from the pocket where Azukia's digivice was and shot into the sky.

Back in the real world, there was a girl in her bedroom, sketching. When she brushed her light blonde hair out of her face, the picture was revealed. It seemed to be a collection of strange creatures standing next to some kids that went to her school. The girl was wearing an ice-blue tank top, a black skirt, and a black headband. She sat up a bit to look at her drawing. She nodded, approving. Just then an ice-blue something shot out of the computer and landed next to her hand.
The girl screamed and toppled off the bed. For a few moments, she sat there listening to her heart beat. Then, after convincing herself that whatever it was probably wasn't dangerous, she stood up and looked at it. Her blue eyes widened.
"It can't be...can it?" With shaking fingers, she picked the ice-blue digivice up. A slow smile crossed her face, "Finally. An adventure of my own." Without any one telling her what to do, she walked towards the computer, held out the digivice, and was transported into another world.

The other vegiemon had tied up the children. Once certain that none of them could get away, they also pulled Azukia and Nekomon up and tied them up with the rest of the group. Redvegiemon wrapped his roots around Veemon and lifted him into the air.
"Let me down or I'll toss you like a salad." Veemon threatened, thrashing wildly.
"In case you've forgotten, I have the upper hand!" Redveggiemon retorted. He threw Veemon to the ground. It was right at that moment that something strange happened. A ice-blue light formed a bit to the right of the group and the blonde girl from before stepped through it. She looked around for a moment and then saw the Digi-Destined.
"Azukia! Hey, Azukia!" She called, waving. Azukia looked over and her mouth fell open.
"Ashley?" She gaped. Kari, Matt, and Emi looked over at the name, "Ashley, what are you doing here?" Ashley shrugged.
"I don't know. You tell me. One minute, I'm sitting and drawing and the next I have a digivice and I'm here."
"That must have been the light that came out of Azukia's digivice when she fell." Matt deduced.
"Ashley! RUN!" Kari shouted.
"Well, well, well. What do we have here?" Redvegiemon had meandered over to Ashley, "Another trespasser in the Emperor's land. When will they learn?" He wrapped Ashely up in his roots and flailed her about next to Veemon before smashing both of them into the ground.
"Veemon!" Davis shouted, struggling against his bonds.
"Ashley!" Azukia screamed.
"The key to good cooking is to always tenderize!" Redvegimon said. He began punching Veemon repeatedly. Ashley took her chance to rush to Azukia's side, but was tied up with the rest of them when she tried to untie it.
"Nice to meet you, I'm Cody." Said Cody, always trying to be polite, "Who are you?"
"This is my little sister, Ashley." Azukia explained.
"You have a sister?" Tara asked. Azuklia nodded.
"Yup." Ashley answered for herself, "You never told me that the Digital World was so full of crazy Digimon!" She told her sister. Meanwhile, Veemon got shakily to his knees.
"That the best you got?" He asked Redvegiemon weakly.
"Are you kidding? We're just getting started. How do you feel about flying?" He punched Veemon in the same manner he had Nekomon earlier.
"I can't watch this!" Gabumon said, squeezing his eyes shut. Ashley screamed as Veemon took the brunt of Redvegiemon's attack.
"Veemon doesn't stand a chance against him." Matt said. Davis was still struggling forward, hindered by the vegiemon wrapped around his legs.
"Veemon, I'm coming!" He called as he fell to the ground.
"Combine all your ingredients into a bowl," Redvegiemon dictated, "Then stir and mix. Frappe and wa-lah! The perfect first course!" He whipped Veemon again and again. When Veemon couldn't take any more, Revegiemon pressed his face into the dirt, "Now for the main course!"
"No matter what you do, I'll never get up," Veemon said, struggling to his feet, "I have to do my best to cheer Davis up, whatever the cost." Davis immediatly felt guilty. He stood up again.
"Veemon, you can stop now! I'm happy! I'm happy, I'm happy, I'm happy!"
"What?" Veemon turned around and Redvegimon took his chance to smash Veemon's head into the Dark Tower.
"Leave him alone, you hear me? He's had enough!" Davis shouted. Redvegimon laughed.
"I don't doubt he's filling a little full, but I'm sure he's left room for dessert and I've cooked up a sweet surprise."
"If only I could digivolve!" Gabumon bemoaned. Matt struggled to lift his digivice enough to look at it.
"There must be a way." Matt said, staring at the digivice as if it would suddenly give him the answer.
"I wish there was some way I could help! If I could just manage to Digivolve!" Nekomon cried. Azukia agreed, also looking at her digivice.
"But how?" Gabumon asked. Veemon was once again smashed into the tower.
"Veemon!" Davis cried desperatly.
"And now here's the surprise I promised you," Redvegiemon said, stretching his roots out to their fullest extent, "A double helping of spike punch!" Everyone gasped as his roots went flying full tilt at their target. At the last moment, Veemon dodged and the roots became embedded in the tower. Blue electricity crackled as it traveled up the lenght of the Control Spire. The vegiemon tieing them together leapt apart, freeing them. Just then, Azukia and Matt's digivices began to emit shrill beeps.
"Gabumon Digivolve to...Garurumon!"
"Nekomon Digivolve to...Starmon!"
Gabumon's place was taken by a huge wolf-like creature with blue tiger-stripes all over its body while Nekomon became a person with paws and ears. A metal mask covered Starmon's face and her blue silk dressed shimmered in the wind. The Redvegimon gave a huge start as the two Champion digimon made their way towards him.
"Garurumon, how did you digivolve?" Matt asked. He looked at Azukia to see if she understood either. She shook her head no. The rest of the vegiemon ran off, afraid to face their wrath.
"Blue Blaster!" Garurumon shouted, shooting ice at their retreating backs.
"Heart of the Cosmos!" Starmon cried, holding her hands above her head as a six-pointed star started swirling at super-high speed between. Understanding from last time they had seen Starmon, Patamon, Gatomon, and Coronamon gave up a bit of power. Starmon nodded her thanks and shot the star after them as well.
"Digi-Armor Ener-gize!" Davis shouted.
"Veemon Armor-Digivolve to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!" Redvegimon shot more chili-pepper at Flamedramon, but he easily blocked them with his hand.
"Flame fist!" He punched the Redvegimon.
"Boy am I glad to see you, Flamedramon." Davis said with a smile, "It's time for a little pay back. I think we should give this over-grown house plant a REAL cooking lesson! Flamedramon, get 'im!"
"You want a piece of me?" asked Redvegimon. They both shot their fists at each other and sat at a stand still for a few seconds before Flamedramon pulled him forward and began bashing him back and forth to the ground.
"That hurt." Redvegimon said when he was released, but he didn't have time to get his bearings before Flameramon shot a fire-rocket at him, "I've heard of grilled-vegetables, but this is ridiculous!" When the flame subsided, Redvegiemon was on the ground.
"You did it!" Davis said, rushing to his companion's side.
"Davis!" He turned to see Yolei, Izzy, Tai, and the Gotsumon running up to where they were. Tai stopped in front of Starmon and Garurumon.
"How were you two able to Digi-Volve?" Agumon asked.
"I'm not quite sure." Garurumon answered.
"Neither am I." Starmon added.
"You know what I think?" Patamon asked, "I think that when Redvegimon cracked the control spire, you guys were able to break free from its power."
"That's certainly going to need a lot of glue." Hawkmon mused.
"Not my problem." Coronamon said dismissivly, "If that brat wants them up that badly, he'll come fix them himself."
"We don't want them fixed, we want them broken." Canimon said, popping him over the head.
"Women..." Coronamon muttered, rubbing his head.
"We should destroy the tower once and for all, and who better to do the job then Digmon?" Armadillomon said.
"Don't forget Mikarimon!" Ashi chimed in.
"Digi-Armor Energize!" The pair shouted together.
"Armadillomon Armor-Digivolve to...Digmon, the drill of power!"
"Rikumon Armor-Digivolve to...Mikarimon, the warrior of innocence!"
"Rock Crakin'!" Digmon said, drilling into the spire's side.
"Sword Slash!" Mikarimon joined in destroying it with her sword. Within seconds, the control spire began to fall over, the blue electricity around going absolutely wild.
"Sorry, we forgot to yell 'timber'." Digmon joked as it lay on the ground amid clouds of dust. Redvegimon stood up, holding the dark ring in his hand.
"Woah...did I get married while I was asleep?" He asked, causing Canimon and Coronamon to groan. Seeing their leader freed, the other vegimon took off their own rings.
"Oh, now I see how it works." Yolei said as she watched. Hawkmon flapped down to nearly her level.
"May inquire as to what you're talking about?" He asked. Yolei looked at him.
"The spire...it acted like an electricity rod." Yolei explained, "The Digimon Emperor set it up to send out power to the Dark Rings, making it possible for him to control ALL the Digimon throughout the area."
"Sounds more like a radio tower to me." Emi said. Yolei glared at her and turned to Izzy for support.
"Isn't that right, Izzy?"
"Yeah. I'm quite impressed with your theory Yolei."
"I wonder how many more control spires are scattered throughout the Digital World." Tai wondered out loud.
"Well, whatever the number is, the one thing we know for sure is that they all have to be destroyed." Matt said, "Quite a tough mission for the new Digi-Destined, don't you think?"
"Leave to us, we can handle it." TK said.
"Remember, four of us have done the whole 'saving the Digital World' thing before." Emi reminded him.
"You said it, TM." Davis said.
"And remember, I'll be here to help in any way I can." Azukia said, "And now Ashely's a Digi-Destined, too." Tai looked wildly around, first at Azukia's face and then to Ashley.
"Ashley? When did you become a Digi-Destined?" He asked.
"Just this afternoon." She remarked with a smile, "A digivice shot out of my computer and when I held it up, it brought me straight here."
"Interesting..." Izzy said, "That means your computer opens a gate as well. I wonder why only yours and the computer room at school does it." Ashley shrugged.
"Somebody should take the Gotsumon back to their home." Agumon pointed out.
"I'm all over it." Gatomon volunteered.
"I'm coming with you." Starmon said.
"And don't forget me. It's not often I get to go back to my roots." Azukia's Gotsumon said with a smile.
"Come on, I'll lead the way!" Tai said, racing ahead. The Gotsumon follwed with Kari, Azukia, and Ashley closely behind. Meanwhile, Matt had boarded Garurumon for old time's sake. Garurumon walked over to the jackrabbits.
"Garurumon will stay here and protect you guys from the Emperor." He told them. The rabbits rejoiced, chanting Garurmon's name over and over again.

"I'm glad the Gotsumon are back home. Every time they touched one of my CDs, they scratched them." Yolei said when they got back to the real world.
"Oh what a travesty." Emi said.
"And they clogged the drain when they brused their teeth." Cody added.
"How did they manage that?" Ashi asked with a laugh.
"I thought they were kinda cool, though." Davis said.
"Me, too." Tara said.
"Hey everyone," Izzy said, "I really think you should take a look at this." They all clustered around the computer and leaned in to see what Izzy was showing them.
"Wow." Yolei said, "What is that?"
"I found it while I was examining your digivice, Yolei. It seems to be a map of the Digital World. Do you see this white square?" He pointed at a white square with the end of his pencil, "Well, it used to be black before we destroyed the Control Spire. Unfortunately, there are a lot of black squares left and they all have spires."
"Gee, it's going to take a long time to change all those black squares white." Cody said.
"And we've got homework." Ashi said. Tara mussed up her hair with a smile.
"Like you have to worry about that, Mrs. I-get-perfect-scores-on-everything."
"And how do we know he won't fill NEW spires?" asked Davis.

Back in the Digital World, another Control Spire fell in front of a group of watching Gotsumon.
"They don't make control spires like they used to." Greymon said. Tai gave him a thumbs up.
"Way to go, Greymon!" He and Azukia cheered.

The Digimon Emperor's black digivice started to beep.
"What? A control spire was destroyed? It must be those meddeling kids." He growled, "Oh well. It doesn't really matter anyway. That area was pretty unimportant in the grand scheme of things. In a year, I'll have every area under my full control." He stood up, "And then finally ever living thing in the Digital World will become my slave forever. And that includes those kids, too." He began to laugh manically into the night.

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