The tamers held onto one another as the cities tilted again, threatening to roll them all away back down the twisting streets. Already several buildings around them were coming loose, and entire roads were cracking under the pressure of...something...appearing from above. It wasn’t the other city, but something far more angular, and definitely far more mobile.

Callum felt himself letting out a scream as something deep within him bubbled to the surface.

“Can this world give us FIVE FUCKING MINUTES?”

but where’s the fun in that?

That was new.

The humans, Saxophmon and Aardmon stared up the incline, able to see something at the very head of the city.

“What the heck is that?”

Aardmon’s eyes widened. “Oh god...”

Hands.

Two vast, curling hands, made of red metal and covered in messes of wires, circuitry and lights. They seemed to stretch out from nowhere, just appearing in space, and they also seemed to have no form of their own. The fingers transformed and shifted, becoming humanoid, robotic, cables, gadgets, mineral, flesh and crystal; a smorgasbord of digits that one by one began to curl over the edge of the two cities. Each digit had wires and pipes leading back to a mass of circuitry on the back of the hand.

The hands turned around, the palms facing downwards, which was even more disconcerting as a huge tubular eye opened up on each one. They blinked, looked all around, before staring downwards and contracting, able to see the tamers even from that great height.

They reached down, and clasped around the edge of each city, crunching down into metal and stone and brickwork. The ground shifted again, as the hands began to pull them apart, completely oblivious to the cries of terror and massive destruction occurring within.

It was too much for the group, as they fell together, rolling down the streets as the city was turned on its head. With an immense cracking, the cities were pulled apart, and tipped upside down.

Callum opened his eyes, very aware that he was falling. The others were around him, clinging uselessly to whatever and whoever they could find. All around, citizens, buildings and pieces of the city itself were all falling the same direction now. Down. Down towards the deep, dark void that lay below, ready to swallow them up.

Callum stared up once again at the hands as they grew further and further away. He could have sworn that one of them was waving at him. The other was performing a somewhat ruder gesture.

congratulations fuckers

you’ve completed the tutorial level

welcome to level two

Before he could respond in kind, Callum hit the void, and everything went black.

“No, no, no no NO!”

Keble burst in through the door to find Dominic, head in his hands as the screen flashed multicoloured in front of him. “What’s going on now?”

“They’ve gone.”

“What?”

The security guard knelt down, trying to make some semblance of sense out of the graphic swirling on the screen, and failing miserably. “What do you mean, they’ve gone? Didn’t the antidotes have trackers on them?”

Dominic side-eyed him. “I know what they had; I’m the one who built half the bloody things.”

“Arse.”

“Frequently.” Dominic shifted a few windows and pulled another monitor over, showing a slightly clearer image of the Digital World. Well, clearer as in resolution. The actual logistics of the world were still remarkably out of whack, with terrains sliding around all over the place and bouncing off one another like a giant pinball machine. Dominic pointed at a certain pitch black region. “They were here. We managed to find them on some sort of floating city or something, but they’ve literally just fallen off the map.”

Keble looked at him, biting his lip. “Are you telling me-“

“They’re not dead. Or at least, if they were dead, this wouldn’t be the main indicator of them...being...”

The small man became aware of Keble’s big brown eyes drilling into the side of his head, and he coughed. “They’re not dead. If they were the trackers would still be reading. They’ve literally just vanished.”

“Can you find them anywhere?” Keble waved his hand over the rest of the screen. “Going by how this world seems to work they probably just went to some other part of the planet. Somewhere. Somehow.”

Dominic leaned one arm on the desk, rubbing his temples. “Probably. Yeah, probably. That’s only, what, a good five million miles square to search for them with no idea of how this world works. Yeah, that’s a plan.”

James blew out his cheeks. “Can’t the girls help you?”

“You wanna wake them?”

“Heck no. Rona’d have my head. Perez would probably have yours as well.”

“My thoughts exactly.” Dominic sighed. “I’ll do what I can, but I can’t promise anything soon.”

James Keble rubbed the back of his head, and set himself down on one of the spare swivel chairs. “Take as long as you need. We’re under no time pressure or anything.”

“Ha.”

“They’re capable kids, Dominic. They’ll turn up.” Keble leaned forwards. “Are you sure there’s nothing round where the cities are? I can definitely see something moving.”

“Probably just rubble.” Dominic squinted. “Or maybe...”

He pressed a couple of keys and zoomed in, blowing up the image showing the two halves of the city. And the two giant hands. Both men blinked as they watched the display.

“Huh. That’s just crude.”

“Is that the Funnyman?”

“If it is, I’m guessing he came up with that name himself.” Dominic pressed a key and the display panned downwards to the black void beneath. “Hmm...”

“You having a thought?”

“I’m having a recollection. If the Digital World’s really as buggered up as all this, then there’s a good chance something very specific has been opened up.” He swallowed, and tugged at the collar of his T-shirt. “A very...no...an extremely, very bad place...”

Keble rubbed one eyelid beneath his glasses. “And let me guess; you think that’s where the kids are?”

“Knowing our luck?” Dominic looked Keble in the eye, suddenly looking incredibly tired. “Definitely.”

Eleanor’s nose twitched as she groaned inwardly, batting at something tickling at her face. In a half-daze she tried to turn, but ended up whacking her head against something rough and blunt.

“Ow...”

Turning back, she opened her eyes. Her vision was somewhat blurred, but not so much that she couldn’t make out something staring her directly in the face. And poking it.

“Callum, I swear, you...”

She frowned, and blinked again, clearing her vision and catching the sight of the leering death-masked figure not ten centimetres away from her nose.

“GEEZUS!”

Eleanor scrabbled upright, only to clang her head on something else blunt. She held out an arm to steady herself, but that too hit something. The other one clocked Lorelie over the head; not that the smaller girl noticed much, as she was busy crouching into a ball and rocking slowly back and forth, making quiet electronic wailing noises.

“Ooh, another one!”

Eleanor jumped as three more masked faces appeared in front of her; two of them similar to the first, and attached to shaggy purple bodies with tattered tunics draped over them. Each mask was slightly different, but they all carried the same basic design intent; far too many teeth in a vast grin, great sweeping eyes with lizard-like pupils, and a tiny painted on nose bringing it all together in a complete nightmarish package.

The other figure was far narrower and more fox-like, though he also wore a mask with a wicked grin painted over. The smaller beasts cackled as the latter entity held the tip of a calligraphy pen to its lips. “How sweet. How perfect. Just the right expressions.”

“What the...” Eleanor began to distinguish more and more sounds of delight and utter terror from all around her as her eyes adjusted to the deep redness of where they all were. “What...what the actual fuck...”

The good news was that none of them seemed to have been lost in their little tumble. They were all together; her and the other kids, Aardmon, and even Empermon.

Very much together, in fact. One might say they were all being pressed together in some sort of spherical cage of twisted rock, with woven walls that shone with a deep orange and reflected the area they were in. It seemed to be some sort of semi-organic cavern, looking half natural with stony pillars and crevasses in the walls, and half architectural with perfect trenches carved around the edges of an impossibly smooth floor, and burnished orange lights seemingly hanging in mid-air. It was rather stunning to look at, if a little murky.

Except there was the slight spoiling of the visual with the fact that they all appeared to be bundled together in a slightly too small cage, suspended in some completely unrecognisable part of the world, and surrounded by what could only be described as the creepiest fucking things on the planet.

Her own assailant was still staring in, swaying back and forth as the nightmare fluffball foxes hovered around him, attached to tubes on his belt by trails of what looked like thick, black ink.

Aardmon was kicking the edge of the cage wall as a squat, brutish-looking creature with a bobble hat, spiky iron shoes and a face only a mother could love (and even then, under protest), prodded her through the bars with a short hooked spike.

Ursula was sat bolt upright, staring out at what looked like a little boy in a sailor’s uniform. At first. Further inspection revealed that he seemed to be made of painted wood, with eyes that were far too big for his head and a permanent on smile that shone out amongst his painted-on rosy cheeks.

Ursula was muttering to herself and pushing herself as far away from the nightmare sailor boy as possible. He himself said nothing. Probably for the best.

Callum and Martin separated themselves from the centre of the pile, swatting at what could only be described as a hyperactive bundle of tentacles as it hovered around their heads, jerking unnaturally. Callum knelt up, hoisting his arm upwards as it began flashing.

“That’s it! Nope! No way! Empermon! We’re doing this!”

Eleanor raised a finger. “Uh...Callum...”

“What a strange, mysterious bundle of technology you’ve found yourself landed with.”

Callum jumped as if he’d just received an electric shock...which he had. He looked down at his arm, on which was stuck the perpetrator, who on closer inspection seemed to be a navy blue jellyfish, waving several yellow tentacles that flickered a little in the dim light, and wearing pink goggles over its beak-like face.

Of course.

Callum shook his arm, and the jellyfish dislodged themselves, floating up into the air and towards Ursula. They twisted their body, squinting and rolling their tentacles together. “I can’t believe it; all so different. Can I see?”

Callum held out his arm. “Empermon! Now!”

“I’m...underneath Aardmon...”

Aardmon shifted, and the penguin’s irritated face poked itself out from the bottom of the pile. “And I’m not evolving.”

“Oh please.” The jellyfish turned towards him, then back to Callum, curling their tentacles beneath them. “That would be so fascinating to watch. Real humans evolving. You are humans, aren’t you?”

The fox spirit outside clutched his mask. “Positively exquisite.”

The goblin retracted his pike and laughed. “They make funny noises.”

And the little sailor doll just kept smiling.

In the end, Eleanor decided to take the initiative in her usual way, as she sat up and grabbed the babbling jellyfish by the face, pulling them close. “Listen, you; what the hell are you, where the hell are we, what the hell are these things, and what the hell are we doing here?”

ZAP

“Ow!”

Eleanor jumped back as one of the tentacles rapped her on the wrist, giving her a small shock and prompting a little cheer from the creatures around. The jellyfish themselves looked hurt. “Rude. I was getting to all of you in good time.”

Eleanor let off a grunt and made for the floating invertebrate, who squawked, and quickly forced themselves out through one of the gaps in the cage. They turned back, smiling as Eleanor grasped wildly at them.

“I’m Polypmon, by the way. And this is Redcapmon, Oninarimon and his Kankomon, and...” They placed a tentacle to their mouth, humming to themselves, until the little doll reached up on his tippy-toes and whispered into their ear. They clapped. “Silly me. This is Bambolamon. I always forget. It’s easy. You’ll see why in good time. Possibly. Maybe you won’t.”

Martin and Ursula looked at one another. “Did you get any of that?”

Ursula didn’t answer, instead shuffling slightly further away from Bambolamon, who was still smiling up at her. Suddenly he twisted his head, and raised an arm as stiff as a post.

“Daddy’s calling.”

The cage emptied in seconds, with the cavalcade of horrors scuttling away across the polished floor or through the air, aside from Oninarimon, who preferred to sashay off in a dazed way, drunk on his own particular brand of je ne sais quoi. Polypmon stopped mid-exit, and turned to the bewildered cage. “Don’t, uh...don’t go anywhere. It’s bad. We’ll...find you. Yes, and bad things will happen. Yes.” They grinned. “We’ll be back.”

Eleanor watched as the jellyfish bobbed away, until they were lost in the darkness. Her shoulders sagged, and she let out a breath.

“I’m...gonna go back to sleep.”

Ursula swallowed, wrapping her arms around her chest and rocking slightly. “I don’t think I can.”

“What the hell is wrong with you guys?” Callum knelt up, banging his head on the low ceiling bars, before clutching his digital arm once again. “Hello? We can break out of this. I’m not staying in a frickin’ cage while we’re tormented by budget horror movie rejects; just let me evolve Empermon and I’ll-“

“I told you mate, I’m not evolving!”

Martin coughed. “Before we go into any sort of big escape plan, can we at least untangle ourselves? I feel like a turtle down here.”

“But-“

Callum looked at the teens all around him, all in various states of withered tiredness. He lowered his arm, and shuffled backwards. “I’m still thinking of a plan, you know.”

“You do that.”

Callum grumbled, but he obligingly helped to untangle everyone from the unceremonious pile they’d all been dumped in. There were mutterings going around about where on earth they were and how they’d gotten there, but none could seem to remember the events past being shaken off a floating city by a pair of giant obscene hands.

“So nobody knows where we are?” said an exasperated Martin. Facing a complete lack of any response, he resorted to looking at everyone in turn, and finally settled on Aardmon, who looked taken aback.

“Why do you always assume I have the answers?”

“Cause you’re supposed to be our guide? And you live here?”

“Never anywhere like this...” Aardmon popped a claw into her mouth, before glancing sideways and pointing at Empermon. “You. Help me.”

“Fat chance.” The penguin folded his arms and slumped against the side of the cage. “I’ve already done that once today and look how that’s ended up.”

Aardmon puffed her cheeks out. “You have a duty!”

“I have no such thing! I can’t help it if you’re willing to stick your neck into human business, but I’m not gonna be joining you, thank you very much.”

Callum opened his mouth to speak but the penguin raised a flipper. “Save it. I’ve done my bit. I’ve done a lot frankly. More than I signed up for.”

The boy frowned, and folded his free arm across his chest. Martin tilted his head. “That’s a thing. What did happen back there, in the city?”

Callum blinked, and twisted his arm round, looking at the screen on his wrist which was burbling with a low static hum. “Yeah...that was new. I wonder if it’s a feature.”

“Callum, your arm sort of...”

“Blew open?” Callum placed his free palm on the metal; it felt slightly cold to the touch. “It did...something like that back on Earth, I think?”

“All of ours did, remember? That’s how we got here.” Martin held a hand to the screen on his chest. “Which likely means that all of ours can do what yours just did.”

Aardmon crossed her legs and sat down. “It makes sense. They may be messed up out of all heck, but they are digivices. They act as your direct channel to your partners and allow you to pass on your internal energy.”

“Ew.”

Aardmon rolled her eyes. “You know what I mean.”

“Do we have to call them digivices?” Martin shrugged. “I mean they’re nothing like the one we were shown in the facility; it would be nice to distinguish them somewhat.”

Eleanor raised an eyebrow. “You just want them to have a cool-sounding name so you can feel important, don’t you...”

Martin scratched his cheek. “Uh...”

Over at the other end of the cage, Ursula leaned forwards slightly. “What about D-Psyche?”

The others looked confused, and the tall girl shrugged. “Don’t look at me. It’s what you shouted out when your arm went crazy. ‘Psyche Synchronise.’ Keep it simple, sounds good.”

“D-Psyche...” Callum gave a little nod. “Alright, we’ve got some terminology. We’re definitely getting somewhere.” He smiled at everyone. “Now all we need to do is get yours working as well.”

There was a smirk from Eleanor as she turned her head away. “Nice thought, sunshine.”

“Well it’s a goal at least!”

“In case you’ve forgotten, if these things act as a link to our Digimon partners, then by my maths we’re still missing four Digimon partners. And Aardmon’s as useful as a bucket of wasps, and from what I gather your penguin’s going on strike.”

“You’ve got it,” replied Empermon, clicking his beak without even looking up.

Aardmon was slightly less gung-ho about her newly designated role, as she shrunk back into the edge of the cave. “...I mean it’s true, but you don’t have to say it like that...”

“I can’t believe you two.” Callum tried to fold his arms, failed, and resorted to curling his arm awkwardly in his lap. Irritated, he glared down at the penguin next to him. “Especially you. Don’t you wanna save the day again?”

“Newp.”

Beat.

“Please?”

Empermon opened one eye, and stared up at Callum. “I didn’t wanna ‘save the day’ in the first place. I was just being nice, and things got out of hand. It won’t happen again.”

“Come on; didn’t it at least feel good?”

Empermon sat up, clearly getting miffed with the questions. He adjusted his hat, and looked Callum directly in the eye.

“If you mean the part where I got to grow bigger and more powerful, then yeah, I guess it did. If you mean the part where I almost died thanks to a swarm of killer pixies, then no, that didn’t feel as good.”

“We were all getting attacked as well. At least you were able to fight them off.”

“Honestly, I much prefer running and hiding. It simplifies things.”

“I don’t even know why you’re mad; you’re the one who decided to help us in the first place.”

“You guilt-tripped me!”

Callum huffed dramatically. “My god, you’re selfish.”

“Wow, you’re very observant. Well done. Also, hi Pot, I’m Kettle, nice to meet you.”

All around, the others listened in awkward silence as the teenager and the penguin released passive-aggressive jabs at one another. Ursula pulled a face, and lay back further. “Oh good, more arguments. Wunderbar.""

She reached up to her collar to pull up her hoodie, only to remember that her hoodie didn’t exactly fit her anymore, thanks to a great metal block welded onto her back. She glanced back, and saw the edge of the comforting hood hanging far out of reach. There was no escape. She was out in the open.

She mumbled under her breath, pulling her shoulders in and crouching up. Callum and Empermon were still fighting, with Eleanor interjecting and telling them both to kindly refrain or else in her usual sweet way. Ursula rolled her eyes, doing her best to blank it out.

She caught Lorelie sitting next to her, and allowed herself a small smirk. “Great heroes, aren’t we...”

She closed her eyes, but half-expected to hear the smaller girl tapping a response. It didn’t come. Ursula opened her eyes and looked down. Lorelie was crouched up even tighter than she was, with the hem of her dress gathered at her feet and her head staring straight ahead, the screen completely blank. Ursula held her teeth together, waiting for an awkward amount of time, before coughing quietly.

“Are you alright?”

Lorelie shifted slightly; she moved her left hand, almost raising the keypad, then let it fall limply again. Ursula’s face fell at the pitiable sight next to her.

“Me too.”

She hesitated, then put out a hand, gently tapping the girl’s shoulder. “It’ll be alright. We’ll find the core. We might even find our own partners as well.”

Lorelie tensed, and shook her head slightly. Ursula bit her lip, and gestured at Callum. “If he can manage it...” – she glanced sideways at the boy, who now had his arms crossed facing away from the penguin, who was mirroring his gesture – “...sort of, then so can you.”

An arm was raised slowly, and the shorter girl tapped the side of her head with slow, angry knocks.

“It’s as Aardmon said. Your partner’s out there.” Ursula looked across at the aardvark, who flinched, suddenly aware she was the centre of attention. “Right?”

“Uh...”

Ursula narrowed her eyes. “That is what you said, isn’t it?” she sounded deliberately.

Aardmon gave an uncertain grin. “...yeeessss...yes, of course, we’re...you’ll find your...partner...I promise...”

Lorelie let out an electronic sigh, and placed her metallised head in her hands, staring into nothing with a peeved expression on her screen. Ursula briefly looked hurt, before relaxing. “Yeah, alright, it’s hard for me to accept as well.” She pulled up her knees herself, ignoring the stretching pain in her lower back.

“Let’s just get home. Out of this nightmare.”

B-ding!

“You’ve Got Mail!?!”

Everybody jumped, none moreso than Lorelie as her screen suddenly flashed up with a phone symbol, dancing from side to side. The others drew in close as the girl fumbled, dropping her PDA and pressing one of the D-Psyche’s buttons. There was a burst of static, a few muffled voices, then finally something familiar.

“...that’s...hello...hello? Ground control here, do you copy?”

Martin was closest, and he looked in confusion at the speaker. “Uh...”

“Give me that!” There was a scuffling sound on the other end of the line (as well as some choice swearing in Spanish) before the voice was replaced by Perez’s. “That is you, isn’t it? Say something to prove it’s you.”

Martin faltered. “Um...we don’t wanna be here and this was a mistake?”

Beat.

“That’ll do.”

There were hushed voices at the other end of the line as Martin rearranged his position. In truth he wasn’t entirely sure what the point of all this was, but at the same time, they had contact. It wasn’t much in the way of direction, but it was something.

Empermon’s curiosity finally broke through his strop, and he nudged Aardmon. “Who are they talking to?”

“The people back in the human world. They’re the ones who organised the kids to come here.” She scratched her snout. “Kind of.”

“I thought Yggdrasil did the whole summoning tamers thing.”

“It’s...complicated.” Aardmon grunted, before changing the subject. “Things aren’t too good over in their world either. Because our world is so fucked, for lack of a better term, it’s bleeding through into theirs.”

There was a burst of static and Perez’s voice sounded again. “The good news is, we know where you are. And by the looks of it you got there through some sort of wormhole.”

Martin blinked. “You mean we teleported here?”

“Did you see anything like a black void or something like that before you ended up there?”

Eleanor folded her arms. “Saw it. Fell through it. I mean...it might have been something completely different but-“

“That sounds like the right thing. And luckily for you there are lots of those all around the area you’re in. Dominic’s just trying to find out where they all go; with any luck we can shift you right to where the core is. It’s a network that spans all over the world. But it might take a couple of hours or so.”

Martin swallowed. “That’s okay. We’re not exactly in a hurry at the moment.”

There was a pause, and then Keble’s voice sounded on the other end of the line. “Where exactly are you?”

Martin looked at the others, who shrugged. “We’re in a cage.”

“...fine. Are you in imminent danger?”

“Aside from occasionally being poked by really weird things I think we’re okay for the minute.” Martin perked up. “On the bright side, we found a partner.”

“I’m not his partner!”

“Sorry. We, uh...Callum managed to evolve somebody so we’re currently...” Martin looked desperately at Empermon, who looked lost himself. “I don’t know. It’s been a long day.”

There was a muttering on the other end of the line, then Perez piped up again. “Is the Digimon there?”

Martin glanced back at Empermon, who shuffled forwards, looking a little incredulous. “Hi...um...bigger humans...I think there’s been a misunderstanding somewhere.”

“I get it. Trust me; we don’t like any of this. But...look, I know it’s not my place to ask any of this but...can you at least stay with them?”

“With all due respect, these people are none of my business.”

“I’m fully aware of that. To be completely honest, they’re none of my business either. But they’re all we have over here, and...well...I gather they’re all you have over there as well.”

Empermon looked away at the five teenagers sitting around him, all with different expressions on their faces.

“They need all the help they can get.”

Empermon exhaled, bringing a flipper up to his beak. He sat for a few seconds, before looking back at Callum.

“You’re all bloody guilt-tripping me now.”

“Sorry.”

“Fine. I’ll do what I can. But I’m only one Digimon. Do you have any idea where their other partners would be?”

“We’re barely keeping track of you. But...thank you. I mean it.”

Lorelie gestured at Martin and handed him her keypad. The boy pushed his glasses up, looking at the message and reading it out loud.

“Is there anything else you can do to help us?”

Silence. Martin’s voice carried in the deep red chasm, the echo slowly fading away.

“Not really. I’m sorry. But we’re doing everything we can.”

Martin looked down, but Keble spoke up again.

“Keep doing what you’re doing. You’ve found someone to help. That’s a step forwards. I wish we could help more, but it’s going to be up to you to do what’s best. You’re doing great.”

“Th...Thanks.”

“Let us know when you get out of there, alright?”

Martin nodded, and the static slowly took over the line again. Lorelie’s screen went blank, and she leaned back, looking drained. Empermon frowned, clocking himself on the head with his own saxophone. “I shouldn’t volunteer for things. It goes against my creed.”

“What creed?”

“Other people are nothing but a pain in the arse.”

“That’s a nice creed. Catchy.”

Empermon shrugged. “Well, hasn’t steered me wrong so far. So long as I follow it. Which I have forgotten to do of late.”

Callum reached out, and placed a hand on his shoulder. “We’ll find other Digimon. You won’t be on your own.”

Eleanor looked up. “So what now?”

“Think of a way out of here, I guess.” Callum yawned. “Any ideas?”

There were none. Only suggestions, and not helpful ones at that. And in time, the events of the past few hours caught up with everybody at once, and one by one, they fell asleep, still mulling over their task in their heads.

In the end, there was little else they could do.

Suspended from a semi-crystalline structure and covered in jagged edges, the cage was not exactly what you’d call a decent night’s rest. It was even less so due to the ever humid atmosphere and the slight suggestion of voices that echoed through the empty hallway, occasionally interspersed with childlike giggles. It was difficult to remove the eerie atmosphere, even subconsciously.

Hence when Ursula jolted awake from visions of perfect puppet people in sailor uniforms, she wasn’t completely surprised to find a complete stranger standing up in the middle of the cage, the light flickering on their grinning face.

Terrified, sure, but not surprised as such. It seemed like the natural course of action.

“Scheiße...”

Remarkably, everybody around her remained in a deep sleep, the flickering light caressing their faces and making them look almost peaceful. Ursula squinted at the new arrival, forcing herself to calm her breathing.

“Who are you? Are you with the jellyfish and that goddamn doll?”

The figure tilted their head, and the light shifted within the cage. Ursula glanced up, and noticed that the light was in fact coming from the mysterious stranger; more specifically, from a large square lantern which, for some reason, seemed to be fastened onto the top of their head, nestled within a mop of spiky red hair.

“Can I help you...?”

The little imp shuffled forwards, and Ursula got a better look at him; short, squat and tubby, wearing nothing but a pair of purple and white striped shorts. He had pointed ears, two stubby fingers on each hand, and a mischievous smile sporting a single tooth that stuck up from his lower jaw. He looked wicked, to be sure, but far from malicious. Although Ursula knew that didn’t mean much in this world.

“You look weird, lady.”

The girl blinked, and pulled a face. “I could say the same for you.”

The gremlin chuckled, causing the candle within his lantern to bob up and down, making the light flicker. He stuck out a stubby arm, and introduced himself with a singsong voice laden with a cheeky swagger. “I’m Hinkymon.”

Ursula hesitantly did the same, glancing left and right as she did so. “Nice to meet you...” She pulled her knees up and gazed incredulously at the imp. “How did you get in here?”

“Same way as normal. It’s my cage.”

“What?”

“I didn’t know you’d be in here.

“...What?”

“What are you doing in here?”

“I don’t...I mean...what?” Ursula shook her head. “What do you mean it’s your cage?”

Hinkymon gazed up innocently, rocking up and down onto his tippy-toes and causing the entire cage to sway. “I might’ve poked the ginormous snake-lady in the eye. She got mad. So they gave me a cage as a prezzie.”

Ursula blinked.

“So I visit it sometimes.”

Another blink.

“It’s a nice cage.”

“Well, that explains everything. But then...why weren’t you in here when we got here?” Ursula looked around at the others. “I’m pretty sure we’d have noticed you.”

“I got out.”

“Yes, but how?”

“With my feet.”

“Oh, come on.”

“’Cause I’m smart.”

Ursula gave a look of exasperation at the self-proclaimed Houdini in front of her, and sighed, pulling her arms back into her jacket. “Fine. I’m not playing the torment game of the fires of hell or whatever. Do what you want.”

Stubbornly, she closed her eyes, trying to ignore the red lights still dancing around her eyelids. She groaned, and faced downwards, but something stubby poked her nose.

“Hey!”

She opened her eyes and saw Hinkymon again, standing below her with one finger raised. He sniggered. “Made ya look.”

“You little-“

Ursula paused, and looked behind her, then down at Hinkymon. Through the bars.

“Okay, again, how did you get out?”

Blink.

“Please?”

Hinkymon pointed. “There’s a door.”

Ursula turned around, and looked all around the cage, her gaze ending on the floor, and the square hole that currently lay in the middle.

So there was a way out after all. They’d just been sitting on it.

Hinkymon sniffed the air, and looked down the corridor, before giggling. “Bye bye!”

He scarpered, the light disappearing as Ursula held out a hand. “Wait! Wait just one-“

“The light boy! Daddy! The light boy!”

“Oh god...”

Ursula turned around and saw a small, frail-looking figure standing at the far end of the hall, hopping up and down in a jerky fashion. Of all the hellish beings that could have shown up, it was Bambolamon. And he was ecstatic.

Ursula leant forwards and fumbled with the door, slamming it shut as the doll suddenly appeared by the cage far too quickly, staring upwards at Ursula. “The light boy. Where is the light boy?”

“I don’t know...”

The china doll pressed his face forwards, causing Ursula to back away as far as she could dare. “I don’t know who you...stop looking at me!”

“Kicherndes Feuer!”

A bright light burst forth from the gloom, blinding both doll and girl, although Bambolamon was hit the worst as he was sent skidding to one side, tilting, but not quite toppling. His head snapped ninety-degrees, and he stared at the goblin who was hopping from foot to foot at the other end of the hallway. Hinkymon giggled, and stuck his tongue out.

“Your hat’s on fire!”

Bambolamon pulled a hand up and extinguished the flame, his eyes never moving, nor his smile waning.

“Papa made this costume. You burnt it.”

His head shifted sideways again, looking down the hall. In seconds there were voices echoing; others were on their way. Hinkymon pouted, and placed his thumbs in the lip of his shorts.

“We playing tag again?”

“You burnt it.”

Without even looking forwards, Bambolamon skittered forwards like a cockroach, his stiff, segmented hand reaching out in a claw. Hinkymon was faster though, and the hell doll’s fingers jabbed the rock wall with a crunch. Hinkymon jogged on the spot, his eyes darting from the doll to the entrance, to the exit, to Ursula. He winked.

“There he is!”

Polypmon and Redcapmon appeared in a flash, with the jellyfish pointing a tentacle at the troublesome imp, rubbing the others and creating sparks. Redcapmon brandished his spike, and Bambolamon managed to flip each of his joints around and yank his arm free from the rock wall, splintering it as he did so.

“ZapLash!”

“Bloody Pike!”

“Kicherndes Feuer!”

Sparks flew through the chamber and blinding lights shone all around. Ursula could barely keep track of it as the cage began to sway, her roommates jolting awake with groans and screeches. She shook herself out of her stupor and turned around, looking at each of the others in turn. Callum looked confused. “What the hell?”

“Ssh!”

Eleanor pressed her hands up against the bars. “Who is that? Who are they attacking?” She grimaced. “Damn, that dollie has a mean right hook.”

“Your leg!”

“What’s wrong with my-“

Eleanor paused, looking down at where Ursula was pointing.

“Is that a door?”

“Yes, but keep your voice down.”

“Are you telling me we’ve been sitting on the way out all this time!? Are you FUCKING-“

“Eleanor!”

Ursula pulled her fingers across her lips, gesturing outside. Eleanor swallowed her pride, and quietly seethed. “...kidding me...”

Callum leaned forwards. “I don’t get it? We have a way out; why don’t we go now?”

The German girl shook her head. “They’re fighting.”

“Then they’re distracted.”

“There are three of them. And we don’t know where the others are. If we wait until this passes we’ll have more of a chance to run for it.”

“Unless they find out about it before we actually get out.”

“Which they will do if we keep talking like this!”

“Zappelnder Narr!”

The intense flashes transfigured themselves into a bobbing light, which swayed back and forth and bobbed every which way, leaving transfixing trails around it. There was a scuffling, and the distinct grunt and clatter of Bambolamon and Redcapmon running into each other. Within the cage, Martin was transfixed himself. “He’s really enjoying this, isn’t he...?” He turned towards Ursula. “Who is that guy?”

“Who cares?” Callum shuffled forwards towards the exit. “We have our chance! We can take it.”

Everybody else shook their heads vigorously. “That’s a bad idea-“

“Screw it; we’re getting out right now!” The blond boy looked at the penguin behind him. “Are we gonna take them down?”

“I don’t think-“

“Callum, no!”

It was too late. The boy had shuffled forwards and practically launched himself out of the hole, landing feet first on the rocky ground below. His D-Psyche followed him, impacting slightly less elegantly with the rock.

CLANG.

It wasn’t particularly loud, but it was enough to stop the shuffling all around him. Three sets of eyes turned towards the boy, piercing in the gloom.

“Oh...bugger.”

Eleanor put her hands behind her head. “Just for future reference, this was your idea.”

“No!” Callum raised his arm against the three creatures in front of him, who were turning with weapons in their hands and confusion in their eyes (never a good combination). “Don’t make me use this!”

“Oh for god’s sake...”

There was a shuffling and Empermon descended next to the boy, glaring up at me. “You owe me big time for this.”

Polypmon raised a tentacle. “Pardon me, but how did-“

“Who cares? Bloody Pike!”

Redcapmon rushed forwards and made a leap, holding his stake high as he aimed straight for Callum’s arm just as the lights began to open up.

“Empermon...Psyche Synchronise!”

“Evolution Activate!”

It only took a few seconds; far less than last time. Redcapmon found himself in the embarrassing situation of suddenly finding a broad webbed foot planted firmly in his face, holding him backwards even as he struggled against the floor. He grunted, and pulled back just slightly, looking up at the penguin man in front of him.

“Huh?”

“Harmony Frost!”

A blast of sound overcame both Redcapmon and Bambolamon behind him, instantly encasing them in ice. Empermon spun on his heels and thrust his leg out, sending Bambolamon’s surprised form skidding backwards and hitting the wall next to Hinkymon, who merely looked on in amusement.

Polypmon had also avoided the worst of the blast the moment they’d seen it coming, and right now they were staring intently at Saxophmon and at the teenager behind him, who was busy recovering from the rush of energy.

“How did...”

“Move!” yelled Callum, raising his free arm and beckoning the others. “Now’s our chance to get out!”

Everybody hesitated for a second. Was it? Could they?

From his safe spot at the edge of the cave, Hinkymon shrugged, and danced backwards into the shadows, avoiding this bit of the conversation.

“Now!”

Eleanor moved first, then Lorelie, Martin and Aardmon, as Polypmon shook themselves over. “Hey, just a minute, you can’t do this!”

They blinked, and dodged out the way as Saxophmon lunged at them, only just missing them.

“You rude person.”

Another swing, but Polypmon rushed far away this time, their tentacles trailing behind them as they arced round. “You’re not supposed to be outside!”

“Whatever you say, mate.” Eleanor turned back as Ursula finally got herself through the gap, landing awkwardly on the ground. “Hurry up! Apparently we’re leaving!”

“I am, I’m just...” Ursula paused, crouched on the ground as she looked over her shoulder. “Where did Hinkymon go?”

“ZapLash!”

“Ursula!”

The tall girl jerked as several tentacles struck her in the neck and shoulders, and she slumped on the ground, out cold. There was a buzz of static from Lorelie and she rushed forwards, only to have a thick, muscular hand close around her wrist. Redcapmon grinned, and suplexed the slight girl clean over his shoulder, slamming her into the ground face first. She let out a hoarse buzz, and slid downwards, her screen showing a mass of stars. Redcapmon brushed his hands, before he yelled over his shoulder at Polypmon. “They’re getting away!”

Polypmon buzzed from side to side, flustered. “I...this isn’t...help me!”

Redcapmon looked down at his still-frozen legs, then behind him at Bambolamon, who was still completely stuck, and looking rather forlorn despite his permanent smile.

“We can’t...”

“Oh...blast you all!” Polypmon made a sound like an angry wasp, and flitted upwards, staring down the corridor where the remaining children were now running.

“Come back here, you rude people!”

Callum felt that his plan had been quite well thought through...up to a certain point. Sure, he was somewhat lax with the details, but right now he was running with (he counted on his fingers briefly) three of the people he’d entered this world with, along with two superpowered Digimon allies.

“Gorgon Grappler!”

One superpowered Digimon ally.

Saxophmon skidded and narrowly avoided the tentacles, but Aardmon was less lucky as the jellyfish’s appendages spiralled around her, locking her in place. She felt the paralytic poison draining her strength and her muscle movements even as she struggled, but she held fast, bringing her arm up with the remainder of her strength.

“Blunt Claw!”

Polypmon jolted as Aardmon’s hand struck them right in the goggles. They swayed momentarily, giving the aardvark enough time to spin her body round, entangling her pursuer even more.

“Go! Get out of here! Do...something...”

She floundered, still wrapped up in the jellyfish’s grasp as she turned to face them. Polypmon squirmed.

“Why are you with them?”

Aardmon raised an eyebrow. “I could ask you why you’re rushing around doing all this.”

“Look, it’s easy, alright? Or...not easy, I guess, but...the other guys like me and...shut up! You’re not supposed to be out here! ZapLash!”

A few quick sparks, and Aardmon was out cold before she could answer. Polypmon shifted their body, feeling the ends of their tendrils waving in the gloom, entangled amongst Aardmon’s hide. And with each other. The jellyfish frowned.

“Oh dear...this is problematic.”

“This was a ridiculous plan!” Eleanor huffed, as she tried her hardest to keep up with Callum. The two of them (with Martin lagging considerably behind) twisted and turned through tunnel and corridor, already feeling the oppression of the environment. Clearly it was already getting to some of them.

“What about the others? What are we gonna do about them?”

Callum spluttered. “We’ll...come back for them. They’ll be fine...”

“Will they?”

“ I don’t know; I’m just trying to get to a place where I can ACTUALLY THINK, alright?”

Eleanor stumbled and cursed, already feeling the fatigue in her leg. “Really, you just run off like that and you expect everyone to follow you and know what you’re doing.”

“Look, I’m the only one with a partner, alright?”

The words came out louder than he intended, and he felt himself slowing as Eleanor stared at him. There was a huffing as Martin ran forwards, the spheroid around his body beeping and whistling like nobody’s business. He put his hands on his knees, and stared up. “Why are we stopping?”

He bit his lip, noting the other two teenagers staring at one another. Saxophmon stood a few steps ahead, glancing around. “Hey, we should-“

“Shut up.”

“But-“

Eleanor raised a hand, as if to strike him.

Then slowly she moved it, resting it on Callum’s shoulder.

“We’re all in this together, you know.”

“ZapLash!”

“Look out!”

Sparks shot past the children’s heads as Callum shoved Eleanor away, the girl staggering back against the wall. She cursed, and turned to face the jellyfish, when something grabbed her hand. She turned to see Bambolamon’s bony hand wrapped around her wrist, the doll smiling inanely.

The girl started. “How the fuck did you get here so fast?”

“Daddy says you’re to stay put.”

To Eleanor’s credit, she got in two punches and a kick before Bambolamon’s limbs had her pinned against the wall, completely unable to move. She struggled, and turned to the others. “Keep moving!”

“But-“

“We’ll sort that later!” Eleanor hissed, bringing her head forward into Bambolamon’s and immediately regretting it. “Just get out of here! Make your stupid plan work or something!”

“ZapLash!”

Sparks erupted everywhere as the jellyfish lunged out from the darkness again, their eyes darting all around.

“Midnight Blues!”

Saxophmon slammed his foot down on the ground, sending up twisting fractals that lunged at both the doll and the jellyfish. Polypmon came off the worst, the icy spikes tearing at their frills as they yelped. They watched as Martin, Callum and Saxophmon ran away on the other side of the wall, and twisted.

“This is way out of my depth.”

Eleanor hissed. “Join the fucking club, mate.” She glanced up as Polypmon squirmed through the cracks in the ice wall, before the doll’s grip tightened on her arms.

“Ay, ay, aye! Watch it, will you?”

She squinted at the sailor doll before her, who seemed just as gormless as he usually did, not even reacting the slighted bit to her multiple rude comments. She frowned, and peered closer at him.

“Weren’t you frozen just now?”

Bambolamon smiled even more sweetly. Then he brought his forehead forwards into hers, and everything went dark.

“ZapLash!”

Saxophmon raised an arm, grunting as the lightning coiled around it, lapping at the skin beneath. “Geez, this guy’s persistent.”

“Stop! You’re out of places to run!”

Callum could feel a stitch rising, but he kept running regardless, his heart and mind racing equally. Where he was going and what he was hoping to do were concepts that still eluded him; all he was aware of was his pursuer and his two companions.

Only two.

That really hadn’t gone according to plan.

He slowed up, allowing Martin to catch up; the other boy was wheezing from the run, although still moving at a considerable pace.

“We need to find somewhere to lay low.”

Callum bit his lip. “What we really need to do is to get out of here...”

“Where? We don’t know where we are.” Martin looked back. “And the others...”

“I know. I promise, I know.”

“Maybe we should-“

“Watch out!”

Callum turned sharply, pulling Martin with him as Bambolamon suddenly rushed towards them down the tunnel. In a panic he turned again, then stopped, staring ahead as the doll stood at the end of the road once again, his head twitching slightly.

“What the-“

“Gorgon Grappler!”

“Harmony Frost!”

There was a burst of static, and within seconds Saxophmon thrust his arms out and yanked the two boys away as the dolls shot past the jellyfish behind them, disorientating the both of them slightly.

“You’re not getting away!”

Saxophmon turned again, and burst through the nearest set of doors into the cavern beyond.

From there...

Well...

Polypmon was the last to burst in, both their front tentacles raised, but they quailed immediately and pushed them all behind their main body. “I’m sorry! I didn’t mean to disturb you all!”

“Daddy!”

Bambolamon giggled and rushed forwards, ignoring the agape teenagers as they rushed towards one of the figures present like a toddler to a parent.

All the newcomers could do was gawp at the sight that beheld them.

The room itself was spacious, and somewhat more extravagant than the rest of the tunnels; gold and silver engravings on the walls, jewellery and riches all around, and an ornate chandelier hanging above them all that seemed to be suspended on...nothing much.

And further back, up a set of stairs on the far wall, there was a throne. An empty throne, to be fair, though neither of them noticed as the wall behind the throne was completely and utterly pitch black. Even in the darkness it shone as brightly as if it were a sun; a swirling mass of complete nothingness, removed from time and space and blocking all sense and thought. A disparate void. A doorway into oblivion.

And that was far from the most extravagant thing in the room. The two boys and the jazz penguin could only stare as the vast, shadowed creatures before them turned towards them one at a time, with a mixture of fury and annoyance and curiosity in their eyes (for those who even had eyes). Some were toweringly big, some were deceptively small, some were near incomprehensible in form; yet all of them carried an aura of malice and power that far outweighed anything the three intruders had felt so far.

Only Saxophmon seemed to recognise it, but he was far from comfortable with it. Callum saw his legs lock, and his hands curl around his instrument tighter than ever.

“Fuck me...that explains it. This place...these creatures...they’re from the Dark Area!”

Three of the figures moved at once, materialising in front of the penguin as fast as if they’d teleported. One of them raised an appendage, but another moved quicker, uncurling some form of tendril.

The boys didn’t even see what had happened. All they witnessed was Saxophmon flying backwards, skidding across the floor and devolving immediately.

“No!”

The eyes turned towards them, and one of the shapes slithered up to the two boys, towering over them as it leaned down. Martin reached out instinctively, clinging to Callum’s arm. “You’ve got to do something!”

Callum just stood, stunned, staring up at the beast above him.

There was a hurried mumbling from behind them as Polypmon shuffled forwards, bobbing their head up and down. “I’m sorry, I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to let them get this far, it won’t happen again I promise, I just-“

“Be quiet, will you?”

The silhouette reached out with two arms, and thrust two fingers out towards the boys. There was a brief vibration, and the two humans collapsed, out cold. The black figure simply rolled its eyes.

“Just hold them, won’t you? It’s not every day we get human visitors, after all.”

Polypmon lowered their body significantly, suddenly aware they were being flanked by two Bambolamon. They swallowed.

“They won’t get out again, my lady.”

The figure exhaled as the jellyfish, the two dolls and their unconscious quarries disappeared back into the gloom.

“Whatever.”

TO BE CONTINED...