Let's reach 250 Power Stones for an extra chapter
***
Fists clenched, I feel electricity dancing across my Beetlemon armor. I stand beside Spider-Man on the Queensboro Bridge. I thumb the power button on the Digivice, summoning my heavy hitters.
"Alright, team, let's do this," I say, as Gatomon, BlackGatomon, Agumon, and Gabumon materialize. They take up positions around me, a well-oiled machine ready to roll. Gwen and George are safely behind us, Renamon a silent sentinel at their side.
The Green Goblin, a figure of pure nightmare fuel, pushes himself up from the ground. My last Mjölnir Thunder must have scrambled his circuits good. One side of his face is a melted mess, exposing bone and madness. He spits on the asphalt.
"You… you interfering pests!" Goblin snarls, his voice a distorted rasp. "I should have known you would be here. I should have known that I would have to deal with you!"
He points a clawed finger, spittle flying. "How did you know?! Did you just coincidentally decide to come?! This could have all been over if you didn't decide to interfere!"
I smirk beneath my Beetlemon helmet. "Well, Gobby, we just so happened to hear that a frail young lady might be in trouble."
I gesture toward Gwen with a flourish. "Didn't think we'd come, did you? What a shame."
I can almost taste his frustration. He's so sure he should have won. It makes me want to crush him even more.
"You ruined everything! Now, I need to make sure you will suffer the most!"
The Goblin launches himself into the air, mounting his glider with a screech. "I will destroy everyone you know and love!"
He's lost it, completely and utterly.
Good.
Time to finish this.
"Everyone, capture him."
"Yes!"
"He is not getting away!"
We were this close to taking down Goblin. Spider-Man's spider-sense blares like a klaxon, and he shoves me back.
"Look out!"
Before I can react, something plummets from the sky. A dark shape eclipses the city lights, a falling shadow that cuts off the stars. The impact shakes the bridge. Asphalt shatters. Cars swerve and crash. The air is thick with dust and the acrid smell of ozone.
What the hell just happened?
As the dust settles, a monstrous form emerges from the haze. Okuwamon. The stag beetle Digimon, and not one of the good guys. He stands at least thirty feet tall, a hulking insectoid nightmare. Gray exoskeleton plates overlap, revealing dark red markings. Twin scissor claws jut from his forearms, dripping oil. Long, segmented antennae twitch, scanning the environment.
[Level: Ultimate]
[Type: Insectoid]
[Attribute: Virus]
[Special Move: Double Scissor Claw]
[A Digivolution of Kuwagamon, evolved into something more sinister than a Kabuterimon-type Digimon. The predominant improvement is its defense, which Kuwagamon lacks. Okuwamon's ability to detect foes with antennae has been boosted, and its pincer attacks have augmented precision. Furthermore, it is clear that its most prominent characteristics are not only its survival instinct, but also its destructive impulse. Truly a Digivolution steeped in aggression. Its special move Double Scissor Claw is an upgraded version of Scissor Claw that is able to snip even the hardest diamond.]
My heart sinks. This is bad.
Perched atop Okuwamon's head, like a twisted carnival ringmaster, is Jokermon.
It's the first time I've laid eyes on the jester Digimon. He wears a long, colorful coat, mostly purple. The coat has oversized shoulder pads and tail-coat flair. Golden bells jingle from his coattails. Under the coat there's a white shirt with a green zig-zag trim matching its pants. He sports a fool's hat, with a star on one side and a moon on the other, pointy ears, and red and black clown face paint. It is a mess.
Jokermon surveys the scene with an unsettling grin. He claps his hands, and his voice echoes through the chaos.
"Bravo! Bravo! What a show!" Jokermon proclaims, his voice dripping with amusement. "But the encore, my friends, is just beginning." He looks at me. "Hello, Cipher."
"Who are you?" I shout over the din, my voice tight with a rising dread.
Jokermon inclines his head in an exaggerated bow. "Why, Cipher, darling, I am Jokermon! The Trump of Passing, the Maestro of Mayhem, the… well, you get the idea." His grin widens, revealing teeth too sharp for comfort.
It hits me like a punch to the gut. This is him. The one responsible for the Shadowstones. All this time hunting shadows, and the puppet master just strolled in, practically announcing himself.
I scan him with my Digi-Goggles, but all I get is a jumble of data. This is a first.
[Level: Ultimate]
[Type: Wizard]
[Attribute: Virus]
[Special Move: ???]
[???????????????????????????????]
The Amulet of Azazel thrums against my chest, practically screaming a warning.
This isn't just another Rogue Digimon or power-hungry thug. This is something else, something… wrong.
A laugh, manic and high-pitched, cuts through my thoughts. "You fool! Did you really think I was alone in this?" Goblin cackles,
From the shadows, Datamon emerges, scuttling forward with unsettling speed. The little creep is already tending to Goblin's injuries, his digital fingers sparking as he weaves code and repairs flesh.
"He still has his uses," Jokermon says, eyes fixed on the Goblin. "Can't let you off him just yet, Cipher. Not when the game is about to get so much more interesting."
My blood runs cold. So, Goblin is just a pawn in his sick game? I clench my fists.
"What game is that, Jokermon? What are you planning?" I shout, my voice echoing across the ruined bridge.
Jokermon simply smirks, a gesture that sends a shiver down my spine. He raises a hand in a mock salute.
"Ah, ah, ah, Cipher! You want answers? You want to know what I have planned? Then you're going to have to come and get them. I'm afraid I can't just hand them out, now, can I?" His eyes glitter with malice. "Prove you're worthy. Prove you can even touch me. Only then, perhaps, will I grace you with a glimpse behind the curtain."
This guy… he's toying with me. But I'm not going to let him dictate the terms. Not anymore.
"Alright, then," I say, my voice low and dangerous. "You want a fight? You got one."
"Everyone, prepare for battle!"
I channel my energy, and a familiar warmth floods through me.
"Gatomon, BlackGatomon, let's go. Ultimate Evolve!" I command.
My Digivice blazes with light, and the two feline Digimon roar with power. In a blinding flash, Gatomon and BlackGatomon transform. Angewomon appears, her eight wings shimmering with celestial light, and LadyDevimon manifests, her dark aura pulsing with sinister energy.
"Agumon, Gabumon! Evolve!" I command.
I channel the same energy to Agumon and Gabumon, and they rocket up to their Champion forms. Greymon stands tall, his orange scales glinting beneath his helmet, and Garurumon lets out a piercing howl, his blue fur bristling with power.
A blue flash to my left and right, and MailBirdramon and Ballistamon emerge from my Digivice. It is time to end this, once and for all.
"Angewomon, LadyDevimon," I shout over the rising din, the words crackling through the comms, "Jokermon is ours. He's the head honcho, the one pulling the strings. Let's cut those strings once and for all."
They both nod, their eyes burning with righteous fury and predatory glee.
"Agumon, Gabumon, MailBirdramon, Ballistamon," I bark, shifting my focus to the rest of the team. "Okuwamon, Goblin, and Datamon are all yours. Grind them into digital dust. Show them what we're made of."
I glance at Spider-Man, his mask tight with determination. "Think you can handle this, Pete?"
He meets my gaze, no fear in his eyes, only the burning resolve I've come to respect. "I'm fine. I still also have the cure for Mr. Osborn."
Peter reveals a syringe, the completed cure for the Green Goblin to return to normal.
I offer him a curt nod. Then I turned toward Jokermon.
"Let's go."
With a surge of power, Angewomon and LadyDevimon charge, their movements a blur of grace and fury. I follow close behind, the power of Beetlemon thrumming through me. I won't let them face that monster alone.
Jokermon smiles, his expression unnerving. He flicks his wrist, and a weapon appears. Not a raygun, not a digital device, but a scythe. A massive, wicked thing with a blade that gleams like a moonless night.
"Shall we dance?" Jokermon taunts.
Angewomon is first to attack, drawing back her bow, as she unleashes Celestial Arrow, but Jokermon twirls his scythe, deflecting the light. LadyDevimon follows, unleashing Darkness Wave, a torrent of bats that seek to consume the jester in shadows, but Jokermon sweeps the scythe in a wide arc, dispersing the darkness with a surge of chaotic energy.
Then I close in. My fists burn with power, and I slam them down, aiming for Jokermon's head, but with unnatural speed, he blocks my strikes with the shaft of the scythe. The force of the impact sends shockwaves through my arms.
This isn't going to be easy.
***
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