Chapter 24 - The Good, the Bad, and the Digi (Pt.2)

"Howdy." Deputymon said politely, "From the looks on your faces, I just flushed your favorite hat down the toilet. What's the story?"
"We got put in the jail for doing nothing by your partner, Starmon." Rikumon explained.
"Where's your justice?" Ashi asked.
"Yeah, that's all there is in here, just us!" Veemon snapped, "Now let's see it, where's your Dark Ring, Deputy?!" Deputymon gasped, highly affronted.
"See for yourself, I don't got a Dark Ring!" Deputymon said, taking off his hat and brandishing his smooth black head towards them, "Nobody controls me, not even myself!"
"There's no Dark Ring." Canimon confirmed.
"Right toe, you varmints." Deputymon said, showing them the whole in his sock.
"What?" Tara asked, looking very confused, then disgusted as Deputymon began to remove the rest of his clothes.
"We're sorry to be so suspicious, Deputymon," Yolei said apologetically, "But yourself in our boots."
"There, ya see any Rings, now?" Deputymon asked. The group gasped as they saw he had no clothes on. It seemed only Tara had noticed and had the brains to turn away. The rest of the group covered their eyes.
"There go my virgin eyes!" Ashi cried.
"Oops, sorry, got carried away." Deputymon said, grabbing his clothes and putting them back on.
"We didn't see a thing!" Yolei assured him, peeking through her fingers to see if it was okay to look, "Deputymon, are you here to keep us in jail or set us free?"
"No need to fret, ladies, soon you'll be free." Deputymon said, belting his pants.
"YAY!" The entire group stood and cheered and then began to laugh with relief.
"'Course, I'm only taking the girls." Deputymon added.
"Huh?" They turned to stare at him.
"I need card players," Deputymon exclaimed, "But not boys because they cheat."
"They what?" Davis inquried.
"Did I mention I don't even cheat at solitare?" Veemon piped up.
"Only the women-folk and that's final." Deputymon said.
"Didn't you ever hear "women, children, and digimon first"?" Aramdillomon asked.
"Can't you find it in your heart to let us all go just for the fun of it?" asked Cody.
"Come on, ladies only. Let's go." Deputymon said, ignoring them. He opened the cell and waited expectantly, "What is this, a petrified desert? Let's go!"
"But we're not boys!" Hawkmon and Biyomon cried.
"What?" Tara asked again, beginning to suspect that the company that edit the show had no clue what they were doing on some issues.
"Move!" Deputymon snapped.

Soon after, Deputymon had loaded all of the girls into his carriage. Ashi, Tara, Sora, and Yolei were smashed together in the back while Deputymon clambered to the top.
"Giddyup!" He called to the horse, snapping the reins. The horse whinied and took them away.

Shortly after, Starmon came into the room, humming to himself. The two boys huddled together in the center of the cell, hoping he wouldn't notice that most of the cell was empty.
"Time for my lunch break." Starmon announced, pulling open a drawer in his desk to reveal a parceled lunch with a sticker of the Digimon's Emperor's head on it and "love" written beneath it, "Being evil sure works up an apetite. And after lunch, a nap, so I can be my mean old self again." He chuckled and turned to the cell.
"What?! They're gone!" He shouted as he saw the broken locks twisting aroudn the door. Davis floated to the front of the cage.
"Deputymon freed the girls." He explained in a dull voice, "He says boys cheat at cards."
"I'm sure they're enjoying some delicious snacks right now." Cody said in an equally dull voice. Starmon shouted something unintelligible and ran out of the room, slamming the door behind him.
Armadillomon and Veemon stared at the lunch he had left behind, drool flowing out of their mouths.
"What are you looking at?" Davis asked.
"His lunch!" Veemon cried, eyes shining.
"I can smell it from here." Armadillomon said. Cody and Davis turned to look at the large sandwhich as well, "If I could just wrap my lips around it, I could Armor Digivolve."
"I've got an idea." Cody said, looking at Armadillomon.
"What's that?"
"Pretend these ropes around us are pasta and help yourself to all you can eat."
"Mama-Mia."

"I just love cards!" Deputymon said as he twirled around, shuffling a deck of green and blue playing cards, "Playing cards, greeting cards, you name it!"
"What a show off." Yolei grumbled, "After a couple of hands, let's try to escape."
"Maybe we can make him fall asleep by talking him into playing Canassa." Sora whispered. Tara was sitting beside them, drumming her fingers on the table with a cross expression on her face. Ashi looked absolutely terrified.
"Time for some 52 pick up!" Deputymon exclaimed, leaping onto the table, "Yeehaw! Ladies and Gentle-mon, welcome the world's champion at Old Maid. I'll take them all on. Come one, come all! Let's hear it!" He leaned expectantly towards the girls.
"...Yay." The girls said, clapping rather unenthusaistcly.
"Know any ways of cheating when it comes to old maid?" Sora asked.

"Almost got ya, Davis." Veemon said, struggling to untie the ropes binding Davis' arms to his side. The ropes pooled around Davis' feet, "There!"
"Now we just need to find a way out." Davis said, crouching so that he was face to face with his Digimon.
"Chocolate always works!" Veemon said with a wink.
"That does it." Cody announced, "We're free." Veemon and Davis turned to look at Cody and Armadillomon. They held up a lasso made from the rope.
"Delicious rope." Armadillomon added with a grin.

"Alright, you're first." Deputymon told Yolei, "And don't try anything tricky or no fruit cup, you hear?" He gasped as his entire hand suddenly blew away. He turned around, "Starmon."
"Well, if it ain't that namby-pamby poor excuse for a side-kick, Deputymon. Playing with the girls again, Georgie-Porgie?"
"Cut that talk! You got no right!" Deputymon said, jumping up and down on the table.
"For once your right." Starmon growled, advancing. The clink of his spurs filled the air, "The time for talk is over."
"Let's settle this, once and for all." Deputymon declared, leaping off the table. The girls gasped, staring after.

"Gotcha." Davis said as he managed to the loop the lasso around Starmon's lunch and started dragging it towards the cell, "Come to papa."
"Oh boy." Veemon and Armadillomon sighed.
"Those ropes were just a high-fiber apetizer." Cody told them, "So now Bon Appetite."
"Looks mighty tasty!" Armadillomon said, picking up a rice ball and shoving it into his mouth. Veemon watched forlornly.
"You know the best way to bust out of here is to dig out." Davis said, trying to console his friend, "You'll help out later." Armadillo paused and looked at Veemon.
"You can have some."
"Great!" Veemon cheered, grabbing his own piece of the food. Once they were done, Cody was ready.
"Digi-Armooooor Ener-gize!"
"Armadillomon Armor Digivolve to...Digmon, the Drill of Power!"
"Cool!" Davis and Armadillo called together as Digmon set his drills on high power and attacked the cell wall. Within seconds, he had made a large hole and the group of four walked out into the bright sunlight.
"Alright, let's go!" Veemon ordered.
"Digi-Armor Ener-gize!" Davis shouted.
"Veemon Armor Digivolve to...Raidramon, the Storm of Friendship!"

"This ghost town ain't big enough for the two of us." Starmon told Deputymon.
"Oh please. Now we have to listen to corny western movie puns?" Tara demanded, "This day just keeps getting better and better."
"I saw a movie like this once." Yolei observed, "The good guy one?"
"Which one is good?" Sora inquired. Ashi winced and hid behind Tara.
"We make three paces and then turn around and fight." Starmon instructed. The partner digimon watched intently, "One...two...two and a seventh..."
"Go whenevever!" Tara, Yolei, and Sora cried impatiently.
"...two and a half...hey!"
"That's right, I already turned around." Deputymon said calmly.
"Hold it! Good guys aren't suppose to cheat." Starmon protested.
"Hey, I'm not that good. Besides, I've never won at nothin'. But today, win, lose, or draw, I'm coming out of this a winner."
"This is becoming a battle of wits and it looks like Deputymon is out of ammunition." Sora commented.
"Check please." Yolei said.
"What?" Tara asked for the third time that day, "When did everyone stop making sense?"
"Good always triumps over evil." Deputymon told Starmon, "Go ahead Starmon. Give me your best shot."
"No!" The girls gasped together. Starmon strode forward.
"Fine. Let's just see how the fortune cookie crumbles. Meteor Shower!"

Davis looked up and saw the meteors streaking across the sky. He spurred Raidramon, whom he was sitting on, to move.
"Let's go!" And go they did.

Deputymon screamed as he flew through the air and landed with a thud face first in the ground. Ashi winced, clutching Rikumon. The other three groaned.
"Well," Starmon said. The girls turned around, "I dropped him like a bad habit. That's one down and four to go.
"Not quite!" Biyomon said.
"What she said." Hawkmon agreed. All four digimon took defensive positions in front of their partners.
"I'll handle this." Davis called as he and Raidramon soared over their heads.
"Well you're wrong." Starmon growled, "Meteor Shower!" The attack hit and Davis and Raidramon plummeted towards the earth. Tara, Sora, and Yolei raced to help them. Ashi stayed back, wondering where Cody was. At the last minute, Yolei and Sora managed to catch the pair.
"Too much chocolate!" Biyomon gasped as she, Hawkmon, and Canimon hefted Veemon up.
"Sorry. I'll try to cut back." Veemon apologized, "Davis! Digivolve me into Flamedramon; he's a better fighter!"
"Right, Veemon! Digi-Armor Ener-gize!"
"Veemon Armor Digivole to...Flamedramon, the Fire of Courage!"
"Huh?" Starmon balked, eyes widening.
"Starmon, you're fired." Flamedramon said, flying into the air and enveloping himself in flames, "Fire Rocket!"

Cody and Armadillomon watched as Starmon went flying overhead, screaming. He was headed straight for a Control Spire.
"A Control Spire!" Armadillomon cried.
"Let's go!" Cody exclaimed.
Starmon hit the wooden planks protecting the Spire. The debris flew around at an alarming rate, striking the tower repeatedly. Armadillomon and Cody blinked as the tower and Starmon came crashing to the ground. The Dark Ring around Starmon's head shattered.

It was sunset and they were leaving. Starmon was seeing them off. All Tara had to say was, "FINALLY!"
"Well thanks to us, your time will no longer be under the Emperor's controll." Davis said.
"It was a tough job, but someone had to do it." said Sora.
"I guess I just went plum loco." Starmon said in an apologetic voice, "Hope there's no hard feelings, Biyomon."
"No need to apologize," Biyomon assured him, "I'm just glad that things are...normal now."
"Are things EVER normal here?" Canimon joked.
"Yoo-hoo!" A voice called. The group could see Deputymon clambering to the top of the overturned Control Spire, "Glad I caught you. You guys didn't think you were going to skedaddle without saying farewell and playing some more cards, did you?"
"Well...we were really hoping." Tara muttered. Ashi laughed.

"So what cards do you have, Cody?" Spra asked. They were back in the saloon and the player piano was banging out its tunes.
"An eight, a pair of aces, and another pair of aces...is that good?"
"That beats us all!" Sora said. Starmon and Deputymon stood up.
"Next game!" Starmon said, "And we're switching to my favorite: Go Fish!"
"Go fish?!" Everyone exclaimed.
"Will this day never end?!" Tara cried, smashing her forehead into the table.

A Dark Spiral was being completed on the screen.
"Those Digi-Doofises have no idea what I have up my sleeve..."

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