Chapter 33: Black Claw (Part II)
After a long, interruptive night in Analog Forest, the morning came.
The group of four continued their trek as soon as dawn broke. Rested, refreshed, and greeted with enough dawn light to safely trek through the rest of the forest, they made their way westwards to Dark Point. It took them another three or four hours of travel, but by late morning, they finally arrived at their destination.
Dark Point stood before them, a shadowy bastion against the Delta Ocean. It was a medium-sized coastal city that ran along a small, outreaching peninsula and along the inland of a bay. The bay provided a large, natural harbour from which ships and marine Digimon could dock and surface respectively. The jutting, arc-shaped peninsula ran along the right side of the bay, dividing it from the Delta Ocean. At the top of the peninsula was a tall, blazing lighthouse that could be seen for dozens of kilometers. It overlooked the mouth of the harbour that provided entrance from the ocean into the bay.
Dark Point was a well-populated city with tens of thousands of buildings, both along the peninsula and further inland. It had a sophisticated harbour with primitive cranes for moving cargo to and from ships and transport Digimon. Due to Dark Point being an independent city in the Western Reaches, it had its own lax import laws. City officials were corrupt and the smuggling of traditionally banned goods was permitted in Dark Point as long as the city received a cut. Dark Point was known for being a shady city which provided a safe harbour for criminals, not unlike its rival city of Shroud. It made advantageous territory for somebody like GrandisKuwagamon.
However, Dark Point was a shady city in a completely different way, as well. Despite the fact that it was mid-morning, when the group of four Digimon looked ahead at the city, the landscape was completely dark. It was as if it was night time. The sun was absent and only the starry night sky could be seen. This was due to a digital distortion that hung over the city, refracting the sunlight from entering the city and the ten kilometers around it. The only time that sunlight entered Dark Point was at dawn when the sun was first rising over the horizon, and at sunset, when the sun was sinking below it. This caused it to be night in Dark Point for all but five hours during the day. These long periods of darkness made the city an ideal haven for criminals and spies, as it was easy to slip into the night, away from pursuers. There was law enforcement in the city, but, like Shroud, it was often corrupt and it typically only dealt with crimes that threatened the security of the city, so petty crime was often overlooked.
The ‘night’ that loomed over Dark Point caused the city to be constantly lit by street lamps and the lights of buildings. It was also necessary that the multiple lighthouses that lined the coastline of the harbour were illuminated with inextinguishable beacons of light. This ensured the safety of ship and marine Digimon traffic. It caused the city to look both beautiful and enigmatic at a distance, especially when there were traces of sunlight in the far horizon, beyond the distortion.
Paildramon, GrandisKuwagamon, Dorbickmon, and VictoryGreymon headed west as they followed the main road toward the city. As they approached the outskirts of the city, they saw that the nearest building to them was a city guard station in which guards would size up the Digimon entering the city. They usually didn’t stop many Digimon, but they did often inspect cargo and shipments.
After passing the guardhouse, the four Digimon walked inside the city without a problem. The city was as dark as the night. The streets were lit with lanterns and the various buildings had their windows tinted orange, illuminated from the inside. The inbound road that led into Dark Point went right into a busy commercial center. The group travelled down it and they saw that there were inns, shops and various services all around them. The commercial road continued on for about two kilometers. It eventually sloped downwards as a direct route to the harbour of Dark Point, allowing easy access for cargo coming inland from the harbour and vice versa. There was also a northern and southern entrance to the city, both connected by a single, large, thoroughfare road that continued up the west coast.
“Here we are,” VictoryGreymon mused, looking around the foreign location curiously as they entered the commercial street. As he walked, he rested the massive Dramon Breaker behind his head, across his shoulder blades. “Wow, it’s so cool that it’s night here when it’s actually day.”
GrandisKuwagamon spun around and began walking backwards so that he could face VictoryGreymon while walking. “Okay, first of all… you can stop that,” he ordered VictoryGreymon bluntly. He levelled a flat stare at the tall dragon Digimon and extended his index finger. “You’re already an easy mark as it is without announcing to all of Dark Point that you’re a tourist that has no idea how Dark Point works.”
“Huh? I am?” VictoryGreymon asked, blinking and looking at GrandisKuwagamon with surprised innocence. He frowned a bit. “Sorry. What should I do?”
“Don’t look around so much, but keep your wits about you. Look straight ahead and don’t make eye contact with people. And don’t wear that big, doofus grin so much,” GrandisKuwagamon advised him, spinning around to walk forwards again. “And keep your hands on your bag at all times.”
“Got it, got it, and got it!” VictoryGreymon replied, still very much wearing a big, infectious grin on his face as he spoke.
GrandisKuwagamon scanned the busy street with subtle glances. He was adept at looking around an area without drawing attention to himself. Since it was nearly noon, there were plenty of Digimon out and about, going about their daily business. He spotted Digimon coming in and out of stores, chatting with each other, a Gesomon complaining to a fishmonger about his prices… Nothing unusual.
Dorbickmon turned and looked at Paildramon. “What about you? Ever been here before?” he asked her.
“Only twice,” she admitted, walking in a calm, confident stride that didn’t give off the vibe that she actually wasn’t a frequent visitor. “Not enough to know my way around.”
“Gotcha. Between the bug and I, we’ve been here enough to know the city like the backs of our hands, I’m guessing,” Dorbickmon responded. “Let’s go to an inn or bar and get ourselves situated. Y’know, a strategy meeting.”
“Sounds like a good plan,” Paildramon concurred. “Where would be a good place for that? Somewhere quiet, preferably.”
“The Hook and Eel,” GrandisKuwagamon said, immediately thinking of his favourite Dark Point pub.
“You want us to get mugged?” Dorbickmon asked him, leering sideways at the insect mercenary. “We’re not going to your seedy, local bar. We’re going to the Horn and Dragon. It should be quiet there at this time.”
“Yeah, because dragons are so good at keeping away from beer and hearty food at lunch,” GrandisKuwagamon said with a roll of his eye. “The Eel is way quieter. There’s a reason why it’s my local. Small crowds, remote, good for information trading…”
“Does the Horn and Dragon have bigger portions?” VictoryGreymon couldn’t help but wonder with a hungry smile. “I’m so hungry that I’m ravenesque.”
Paildramon glanced at him. “I think you mean ‘ravenous’, VictoryGreymon,” she corrected him. She turned her head and looked over her shoulder at Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon. “You two can decide between yourselves which inn we should go to. You know them better than we do.”
Dorbickmon fixed a rivalrous stare at GrandisKuwagamon. “We’re trying to,” he responded. “Once the bug realises that we’re trying to blend in while we’re here.”
“
You just want to blend in because don’t want to be spotted by bounty hunters searching for your ***,” GrandisKuwagamon retorted. “The Hook and Eel has way less clients than your crowded dragon bar. We can all keep a low profile there. Besides, I know the owner. He’s cool.”
Paildramon kept looking at the pair as she walked, not paying attention to what was in front of her. “Are there any other optio—“
Before she could finish, she sensed a presence in front of her, but reacted too late to avoid a collision. She felt herself walk straight into a warm, firm wall of scales and fabric. “Ngh,” she grunted, quickly recoiling to see what she had hit.
She looked up to see the tall, bulky form of a emerald-scaled triceratops that was walking on his hind legs. Over the Triceramon’s green arms and white underbelly was a long, brown trench coat that concealed most of his muscular body. Over his grey frill was a large, matching fedora that rested on his head plate, between his forehead horns.
The Triceramon looked down at Paildramon. “Sorry, I didn’t see you there. Are you alright?” he asked her, bending down towards her level.
“It’s my fault. I should have been watching where I was going,” she responded, keeping a firm hold on her bag. She glanced up at the tall dinosaur sceptically, wondering if this was a ploy to steal something from them. Paildramon kept a close eye on his hands.
To her surprise, he leaned down, putting his snout in her personal space, and whispered in her ear. “Meet me in the Drunken Phoenix in thirty minutes. The Silver Crow of Yakumo smiles at you,” he whispered to her cryptically. He then stood up straight and spoke in his regular gruff voice. “Sorry again. I don’t want any trouble,” he spoke, walking straight past them.
“Watch where you’re going, weirdo,” Dorbickmon growled at the Triceramon threateningly as he passed.
“Sorry…” he murmured, passing them without further incident, his thick tail curling behind him from under the long trench coat.
GrandisKuwagamon walked up beside Paildramon. “What was that about?” he asked her. “Did he steal anything? …Did he try to cop a feel?”
Paildramon frowned pensively in response to what he whispered to her. She knew that ‘Silver Crow’ was the rank that Karatenmon once held when he was a ninja in his hometown of Yakumo. The Triceramon must be one of his spies.
“He said that he’d buy us drinks in the Drunken Phoenix…” she told the three. “We should go there.”
“That’s awfully nice of him,” VictoryGreymon mused.
“What? Are you saying he asked you out?” GrandisKuwagamon questioned, gazing at Paildramon with a sceptical red eye.
Paildramon levelled a meaningful gaze at the three. “Trust me…” she said calculatedly. “He wants to make it up to me. It doesn’t seem like a bad offer.”
After a few moments, GrandisKuwagamon and Dorbickmon exchanged looks, picking up on Paildramon’s underlying meaning. VictoryGreymon, never one for detecting subtlety, was still in the dark, but was happy to go along with it.
“Yeah, fine,” GrandisKuwagamon agreed. “The Drunken Phoenix isn’t a bad place for us to stay.”
“Sounds good to me,” Dorbickmon concurred, walking ahead. “I’ll lead the way.”
Paildramon followed him, flanked by GrandisKuwagamon and VictoryGreymon.
GrandisKuwagamon leaned over. “Are you sure this is a good idea?” he asked her.
“He’s trustworthy,” she assured him lowly. “He mentioned the Silver Crow.”
“Okay…” GrandisKuwagamon acquiesced. He glanced over at VictoryGreymon, whose stomach was audibly snarling now. “Come on, V. The faster you go, the sooner we can shut your stomach up.”
VictoryGreymon laughed heartily and awkwardly rubbed the back of his head. “Haha, sorry… I’ve got a big appetite.”
The sarcastic mercenary stared ahead of him with a deadpan expression. “You don’t say…”
-
“This is it?”
VictoryGreymon stared up at a large wooden sign hanging above a set of metal doors. The sign had a large painting of a majestic phoenix with its wings outstretched and wreathed in flames. The six dots around its neck made it clear that the bird was supposed to be reminiscent of Zhuqiaomon. The digi-letters below read ‘The Drunken Phoenix’. It was said to be Zhuqiaomon’s favourite tavern in Dark Point.
VictoryGreymon, Paildramon, and the two mercenaries stood outside of the tavern. A pair of fiery torches rested on bronze, avian sconces outside of the entrance, lighting the way in the dark night of the city. The windows were stained glass with autumnal colours of yellow and red. They noticed that the building’s architecture had an Eastern design, complete with curved, golden roof tiles and red, exterior walls.
“Yeah. Let’s go in already,” GrandisKuwagamon said, walking up to the reinforced doors and pulling them open. Without waiting for the others, he walked inside the homey bar.
Dorbickmon looked at Paildramon and shrugged. He opened the door and the trio followed GrandisKuwagamon inside.
The interior was warm and rustic. It was a middle-end establishment with a relatively pleasant atmosphere and generally well-behaved clientele. Along the walls were auspicious wall scrolls and Eastern style art of the Four Holy Beasts. As they entered, they spotted the bar counter, which led along the right side of the building. They could see a door leading to the kitchen behind the counter, from which the clatter of metal and alluring aromas originated. The rest of the room consisted of tables and booths, with a large table across from the bar counter for gambling games. Each booth was divided by the same kind of stained glass that the exterior windows were made of.
The team of four looked around the bar for the Digimon they were supposed to meet. They spotted the unmistakably large, hunched-over form of a Triceramon sitting in one of the corner booths. He seemed to be drawing as little attention to himself as possible, but with such a large body, doing so just made him look comical to GrandisKuwagamon. The Triceramon was still clad in a trench coat, but he had removed his hat so that he could easily look over his shoulder, towards the entrance. Spotting the group, he nodded them over.
“There he is. Let’s find out what he wants,” Paildramon said, striding over to the table.
“Good idea,” VictoryGreymon agreed, walking over with Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon as well.
As the group gathered around the booth, Triceramon scooted down the leather seat to make room. “Squeeze in,” he said them, curling his large tail around to the side that was adjacent to the wall.
“Thanks!” VictoryGreymon exclaimed, sitting down and squeezing in, next to the Triceramon. “It was nice of you to invite us.”
The Triceramon tilted his head and looked across the wooden table at Paildramon as she, GrandisKuwagamon, and Dorbickmon sat across from him and VictoryGreymon. “You did tell him I work for the Silver Crow, right?” he asked her.
At this title, VictoryGreymon perked up and looked at the Triceramon excitedly. “You work for Kara—mmm!” He was interrupted when Triceramon placed his hand over VictoryGreymon’s snout.
“Don’t say his name. You never know who’s listening around this city,” Triceramon told VictoryGreymon, emphatically staring into his surprised, green eyes.
VictoryGreymon nodded sheepishly and gently lowered the hand from his mouth. “Sorry about that. Guess I wouldn’t be a very good spy,” he said with an embarrassed smile and a laugh.
“Major understatement,” GrandisKuwagamon quipped as he looked at Triceramon. “So, what do you want?”
“Ignore his rudeness,” Paildramon interceded. “Do you have a message for us?”
Triceramon shook his head and raised a patient finger. A Ranamon waitress walked over to take their orders, and he ordered them four beers. The waitress walked off and promptly returned with their drinks and a tray of assorted nuts and seeds. The five glasses of light brown liquid were parcelled out to each person.
“Thank you,” Paildramon said to the Ranamon. “How much will that be?”
The Ranamon looked over at VictoryGreymon and smiled flirtatiously. “Oh, it’s on the house,” she said to them.
“Really? Thank you!” VictoryGreymon replied with a big smile.
“No problem, big guy. We have a policy of not letting handsome Greymons pay for their first drinks,” she playfully mentioned, sending him a wink.
“Huh, really? I’ve never heard of that policy, but I should tell my friends about it! Maybe other taverns have it too,” VictoryGreymon obliviously remarked, still grinning.
GrandisKuwagamon whispered to Dorbickmon. “He really is as dumb as a plank.”
“I wonder how much he gets flirted with without realising,” Dorbickmon replied with a grin.
As soon as the waitress was gone, Triceramon glanced around his immediate vicinity. “I have information,” he explained cagily. “I was told to inform you of the goings-on in Dark Point and any other useful info once you arrived.”
“You know our mission?” Dorbickmon asked him, relaxing in his seat and taking a long, appreciative swig of the amber-tinted ale in his claws.
“Yup. I’ve been told about what you’re doing here,” Triceramon affirmed, placing his hat back on his frill. “I don’t want to linger too long, so let’s get down to business.”
“Okay,” GrandisKuwagamon agreed, looking at Triceramon curiously. “What’s been going on in Dark Point? I haven’t been here since I first got the request for the Facture job,” GrandisKuwagamon mused, thinking all the way back to before this mess started. He tried not to think too hard about it. It seemed like much simpler times back then…
“A lot, as it happens,” Triceramon explained, glancing at them seriously from under the shade of his fedora. “There’s been a big shift in the local underworld politics lately.”
GrandisKuwagamon frowned at this. He raised his glass of mead and took a slow sip before placing his mug down. “What kind of shift?” he asked curiously. He didn’t like being out of the loop.
Dorbickmon folded his arms and studiously stared at Karatenmon’s agent. He shared GrandisKuwagamon’s sentiment. “Yeah, what is it?”
“The Talons are at war,” Triceramon explained, leaning back in his seat and taking a gentle sip of the alcohol. “All of a sudden, about two weeks ago, about a hundred or two hundred demon Digimon suddenly showed up in the city like out of thin air. They set up in the loading district, started taking shipments hostage unless they got paid. Now they’re muscling in on the Talons’ territory. There’ve been fights, a few killings… It’s getting ugly.”
“Demons… Two weeks ago, huh?” Paildramon mused, looking around at the others. That was right around the time that they were showing down with the Metal Empire outside of Saversburg. “They must be from the Dark Area.”
VictoryGreymon frowned and nodded slowly. It took him a moment, but he suddenly blinked and raised a finger. “…Hey, that was when all those dark rifts were popping up during the battle, wasn’t it?”
“I guess the Demon Lords weren’t the only ones that escaped, huh?” Dorbickmon muttered, sneering distastefully at the news.
“So, looks like the power balance is pretty screwed up right now,” GrandisKuwagamon deliberated. “How unstable are things?”
“The city’s still got it under control. Dark Point isn’t about to collapse into anarchy. There’s just some more violence. It’s only a turf war,” Triceramon explained, waving one of his clawed hands. “Nothing you need to worry about.”
Paildramon nodded and raised her red helmet to take a sip from her beer. When she placed the glass down, she looked at the spy. “Is there anything we do need to worry about?” she asked him.
“Two things,” the Triceramon murmured, glancing over to his right. “One… We’re being eyed up right now.”
The team of four all glanced over out of the corners of their eyes to see what he was referring to.
They saw a pair of Digimon sitting at the bar counter. One was the tall, mantis-like form of a Snimon while the other was a white mammal clad in Viking armour – a Vikemon. They were staring over their shoulders at the group with scowls on their toothy mouths. The pair seemed to be whispering animatedly with each other.
GrandisKuwagamon leered at them without needing to noticeable turn. He quietly sized up them and their unsubtle movements. He was able to get a good read of them just by the way they moved and held themselves. “They’re mercs, not spies; they’re being too obvious about it to be spying on us,” he perceptively deduced.
“Do you know them?” VictoryGreymon wondered, keeping a hand close to the Dramon Breaker that rested beside him, just in case.
“I know the Vikemon from somewhere, but I can’t place where,” Dorbickmon explained, leering over at the pair suspiciously.
“They can’t hear us, so we can continue,” the Triceramon explained, although keeping a careful eye on the two mercenaries. “The second thing you should know…” His eyes rested on GrandisKuwagamon.
GrandisKuwagamon stared at him blandly, wishing that he’d just say it already. “What? Spare the dramatics and out with it already,” he said impatiently.
“…Blitzmon and Bolgmon – your former teammates – are in Dark Point right now,” Triceramon finished.
GrandisKuwagamon’s eye widened ever-so-slightly and his grip tightened around the handle of his beer mug. Without realising, he squeezed it like a steel vice.
“…What?” he asked, his voice as low as it could go. His tone was cold and restrained, but his timbre was like a seething hiss that cut through the warm pub air. His crimson eye gleamed dully as he stared across the table at the Triceramon. “Blitzmon and Bolgmon are here…?”
Paildramon frowned and looked at GrandisKuwagamon with concern. “GrandisKuwagamon… Don’t do anything rash,” she said to him, trying to calm his anger. She initially had doubts about his loyalty regarding Black Pincer Company, but now she could see the sheer anger in his eye. However, this wasn’t particularly good for them either – it would be bad if they came into contact with them and ended up fighting.
GrandisKuwagamon hissed with frustration. “As if I could, with this damn virus in me,” he fired back.
VictoryGreymon looked at GrandisKuwagamon sympathetically. He couldn’t imagine how much it must hurt for GrandisKuwagamon’s best friends to have betrayed him. He couldn’t imagine any of his friends ever doing that, but he imagined it must have been like a sword through the heart. The mercenary didn’t show it, but VictoryGreymon was sure he must feel pain after that. The dragon warrior couldn’t help but feel sorry for him.
“I can understand your anger, but remember that we’re here for the mission,” Paildramon reminded him. “We’re supposed to find out who they’re working for.”
GrandisKuwagamon sighed irritably, but he focused and put his feelings into perspective. He was doing this mission so that he could get freedom. He couldn’t let himself get blinded by revenge for now. “Yeah, I know…”
“Maybe we could capture one of them and make him tell us,” Dorbickmon suggested. “Beat it out of him if necessary.”
“Um… I don’t know…” VictoryGreymon meekly protested, not liking the idea of interrogating somebody. It didn’t feel like the right thing to do. “We’re representing the Order… and stuff.”
Paildramon nodded. “I would rather that we avoid a fight. Our mission is one of stealth. We aren’t well equipped to deal with a fight, with GrandisKuwagamon unarmed and us being in a crowded city,” she explained.
“So, what is our plan?” VictoryGreymon questioned. He looked around the table and poked his untouched beer glass.
“We infiltrate Black Pincer Company’s office,” Paildramon answered with straightforward direction.
Dorbickmon turned nudged the black beetle beside him. “Where’s your office, exactly? Is it even still there?” he asked him, cocking an eyebrow.
“Should be. Blitzmon had the good idea of paying our next month’s rent in advance since we’d be gone for awhile,” GrandisKuwagamon replied, cooling down.
The crimson dragon folded his arms and leaned on his elbows.“So, we sneak into their office and then what?” Dorbickmon pondered, idly thumbing his spiked forearms as he thought.
GrandisKuwagamon tapped his index finger on the side of his beer mug. “If Blitzmon and Bolgmon are in the city, they probably went to the office. Blitzmon’s anal about keeping our books and ledgers straight. Maybe if they know who our client is now, they’ve written his name and address down.”
“So, there might be a paper trail for us to follow,” Paildramon said, looking at GrandisKuwagamon for confirmation.
“Maybe,” the insect Digimon agreed. “But—“
“Hey! You!” a loud, boisterous voice called out from across the bar. The group heard a pair of loud, thumping footsteps setting a tempo to the raucous voice.
They looked over and saw the Vikemon and Snimon marching over to them, each with threatening scowls on their faces. As soon as Dorbickmon saw the Vikemon’s face from the front, he scowled and looked away. “****…” he muttered apprehensively.
The Vikemon strode right up to their booth and slammed a hand down on the table, causing their drinks to rattle and spill a bit of liquid. He glared across at Dorbickmon, bearing his teeth as he sneered. The Snimon lingered behind the wide-bodied Vikemon, menacing Dorbickmon as well.
“Is there a problem?” Paildramon calmly asked, gazing up at the two Digimon.
“W-We don’t want any trouble…” VictoryGreymon insisted, wincing as he tried to ignore the fact that the entire pint of beer that he had slowly been nursing had spilled onto his lap.
“Oh, there’s a problem,” the Snimon spoke up, pointing his scythe over at Dorbickmon. “He’s the problem.”
“He’s a damn Royal Knight spy!” the Vikemon exclaimed angrily. At this accusation, the Triceramon tensed up subtly, but he didn’t make any sudden movements. Vikemon drew a heavy, spiked mace from his back and pointed it across the table at Dorbickmon. “He sells out mercenaries to the Order!”
Dorbickmon snarled and placed his claws on the ground to stand up, but Paildramon’s hand on his shoulder stopped him. Instead, he cast a furious glare at the Vikemon. “I don’t know what you’re talking about!” he insisted vehemently. “I’m not a damn informant!”
“Yeah, you would say that!” the Vikemon fired back.
“Do you have any proof? Or is this just a baseless rumour?” Paildramon questioned, figuring that it was obvious that none of them appeared that they were working for the Order.
“Of course I have proof!” the Vikemon mercenary insisted, scowling. “I was there in the bar when he was outed as an informant.” He pushed his mace inches away from Dorbickmon’s face. “You punched me in the face, you piece of ****!”
Dorbickmon released a low, rolling snarl. Flames flickered in his throat as his yellow and violet eyes narrowed at the mercenaries. “You attacked me first. I’m not a damn rat,” he defensively insisted, placing his hand on the spiked head of the mace.
“You got the wrong idea, buddy,” GrandisKuwagamon insisted, placing his hand on Vikemon’s muscular arm and gently lowering it, forcing the weapon down.
“Oh, yeah?” the Vikemon asked, turning his annoyed glare towards GrandisKuwagamon. After a moment, the white, furry mammal’s brows plunged and he squinted at GrandisKuwagamon charily. “Hey, wait a second… Aren’t you GrandisKuwagamon from Black Pincer Company?”
“That’s me, in the carapace,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, casually thumbing at himself.
“What the hell? Blitzmon and Bolgmon have been saying that you got captured by the Royal Knights!” the Snimon spoke up. The mantis stepped up beside his Vikemon friend and stared at the ebony beetle.
“Yeah? Well, they’re ****ing liars,” GrandisKuwagamon nonchalantly replied, trying to shift the narrative to their advantage. “They used me as a scapegoat and left me for dead when the Royal Knobs were chasing us in Saversburg. I was lucky enough to escape. They’re just covering their asses so it didn’t seem like they turned tail and ran like cowards.”
“Whatever. I don’t care about that,” the Vikemon insisted, leering down at GrandisKuwagamon with incredulity and scepticism. “You were the one who stood up in the bar and told everyone that Dorbickmon was an informant! Now you’re having a drink with him?! What the hell’s going on?!”
VictoryGreymon exchanged glances with Paildramon. This could potentially be bad.
However, GrandisKuwagamon merely chuckled. His laugh was casual yet carried the cynicism of black comedy. “Oh, that… Just a bit of fun at Dorkdickmon’s expense,” he responded, playing it off completely. “It was hilarious the way all of you mugs bought it hook, line and sinker. The look on the lizard’s face too…”
“What?!” the Vikemon demanded, feeling affronted. “You mean that was all just a prank?!”
“More like payback,” the insect mercenary explained, not exactly lying. “He screwed me over on a job awhile back. Thought that if I was gonna get even with him, I might as well have some fun doing it.”
“I chipped a good tooth because of that!” the Vikemon protested, glaring at Dorbickmon.
Snimon tilted his head as he looked between Dorbickmon and GrandisKuwagamon. “If you both screwed each other over, then why are you two together now?” the oversized mantis asked them.
“Practicality,” GrandisKuwagamon answered plainly. “Black Pincer Company screwed me over and pushed me out, so I need a new team to get myself back on my feet. That’s why I’m working with these three idiots.” He gestured around the table. “As for Dorbickmon, my little joke ended up getting blown outta proportion by you guys, which meant he got ostracised by the mercenary community. He needs a job and this is my way of paying him back. I owe him that, and a drink.”
Vikemon frowned, nodding somewhat. He turned and looked back at Dorbickmon cagily. “So… You’re really not a Royal Knight informant?”
“Of course not!” Dorbickmon fired back defensively, putting on his best act. “I was working
with DarkKnightmon
against them! They nearly killed me at the Battle of the World Tree! Who the hell do you think I am? As if I’d want to work for those damn do-gooder, bucket heads!”
“Would I be working with him if he was?” GrandisKuwagamon rhetorically added. “I hate those damn tin cans. Hero-wannabe bastards nearly ruined me.”
“Okay, okay, sorry…” the Vikemon muttered, retracting his mace and placing it on his back once again.
“Tch,” Dorbickmon grunted, folding his arms indignantly. “I’ve got enough problems without mercs like you thinking I’m an informant and causing me problems. I’ve got to work with the damn bug because of that.”
“Fine. Look, I’ll spread the word around. Call it even for what happened in the Severed Arms,” Vikemon said to him with reluctant contrition.
“I’d appreciate that,” Dorbickmon said moodily, glancing at the pair with sour eyes.
“Yeah… Anyway, later,” the Vikemon said, turning around and heading back to his table. “Come on, Sni.”
As the Snimon followed after the Vikemon, the table inwardly breathed a sigh of relief. VictoryGreymon tugged at the collar of his armour and relaxed. “That was tense…” he said, taking a long, calming breath.
The Triceramon spy stood up and made his way past VictoryGreymon out of the booth. “I’m gonna leave now,” he told the group. “When you’re going to the office, avoid the main streets because you might get seen, and avoid the dark alleys because you might get ambushed or something.”
“We’ll do that. Thank you for your help,” Paildramon said to him.
“I’ll also help spread that story around to try and clear Dorbickmon’s name,” the Triceramon added, putting his large claws in his oversized trench coat pockets. “See ya.” With a slight nod, the bulky triceratops Digimon went to go pay and began making his way to the exit of the bar, leaving the group of four.
Once he was gone, VictoryGreymon looked at GrandisKuwagamon with an appreciative smile. “Good work, Grandis!” he complimented. “You really smoothed things over there.”
Paildramon nodded. “That was good of you,” she agreed. She gave a glance over at Dorbickmon. “Right?”
Dorbickmon grunted and folded his arms, looking away indignantly. “Tch… Yeah, I guess…” he half-heartedly agreed, unwilling to concede that Grandis helped him. However, he realised that he probably should, given the situation. He sighed and murmured in a low, baritone hiss. “…Thanks.”
Although initially annoyed by the compliments, GrandisKuwagamon smirked as soon as Dorbickmon spoke. He cupped a hand to his ear and leaned towards the tall dragon. “Sorry, didn’t quite hear that. What was that again?” he goaded him.
“Don’t push it, bug!” he snarled irritably. “It’s your fault I’m in this situation to begin with!”
GrandisKuwagamon chuckled and took a big swig of mead, taking pleasure out of teasing him.
“So, why did you do that?” Dorbickmon followed up, wondering why the insect mercenary uncharacteristically helped him.
“It’s because Grandis is a good guy,” VictoryGreymon suggested with an optimistic grin.
“Muzzle it, V,” GrandisKuwagamon replied with succinct and decisive immediacy. He turned to Dorbickmon. “I didn’t do it for you. I did it for me. You getting us hounded by mercenaries is bad for our mission.”
“Plus, if people think that Dorbickmon is associated with the Royal Knights, and they see you two working together, they might assume that we’re all working for the Royal Knights,” Paildramon added. “And that would be particularly bad for GrandisKuwagamon.”
Dorbickmon smirked. “So, it’s in our best interests to keep each other above suspicion…” he pointed out.
“Something like that…” GrandisKuwagamon murmured.
VictoryGreymon nodded. “…So… when do we want to try to check out Grandis’ office?” he broached the topic.
“Let’s say before Evening Light,” the ebony mercenary suggested, referring to the bright, sunset period in Dark Point, where the sun was visible before it set. “We shouldn’t hang around too long.”
“Yeah, especially with your friends around,” Dorbickmon agreed. He made his way out of the booth and stood to his feet. “Come on, Vic,” he said to the orange dragon man. “Let’s go get some rooms for us so we have somewhere to strategise in private. There’s an inn down the road.”
“Sure thing, Dorbickmon,” VictoryGreymon eagerly complied, standing up and grabbing his Dramon Breaker. He was still dripping a bit from the spilled beer on his lap.
Paildramon nodded. “We’ll catch up to you,” she replied.
“It’s close enough that it should be in Grandis’ leash range,” Dorbickmon made sure to add. “But it might be easier if you both come along.”
GrandisKuwagamon rolled his eye. He didn’t bother telling Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon that the jig was up and that he had guessed that the restraint system was tied only to Paildramon. He figured it would be a hassle since that meant they would want to keep a closer eye on him, and it would be more fun to watch them make fools of themselves by keeping up the act.
“I’ve got something I want to talk to Paildramon about,” the beetle Digimon explained.
“I’ll keep an eye on him. We won’t be long,” Paildramon reassured them, feeling more confident than before that GrandisKuwagamon wouldn’t try anything.
Dorbickmon was a bit unsure, but he nodded. He gave GrandisKuwagamon a look for warning. “Behave, bug,” he told him.
“Look after the salamander, V,” GrandisKuwagamon retorted, grinning at VictoryGreymon.
“I will,” he assured him. The Ultimate level Greymon put a hand on Dorbickmon’s back and began walking out with him.
Paildramon finished her mug of beer and placed the empty glass down. She turned and gazed at GrandisKuwagamon curiously. “What did you want to talk about?”
“Strategy,” he said plainly, forgoing any of his usual banter and getting straight to the point. He ran a finger around the rim of his empty beer mug and looked at Paildramon. “We keep our office locked, obviously.”
“I see. That makes sense…” she agreed, looking back at him.
“I’d rather not have to kick the door open,” he continued, looking across the table at her. “That’d arouse suspicion.”
Paildramon frowned questioningly. “You don’t have a key?”
GrandisKuwagamon shook his head. “I do…” he tentatively replied. He stared at Paildramon meaningfully. “I keep it in void space for safekeeping… You know how I can distort and fly through space? My Dimension Scissors and Zone Black Hole abilities? Void space is the negative space that I pass through when I do that.”
Paildramon closed her eyes pensively. “…And you can’t use those powers to get the office key with that power inhibitor inside you,” she concluded.
“Exactly. If we had that key, we could get in there without drawing attention to ourselves,” GrandisKuwagamon explained. “All you need to do is remove the power inhibitor…”
“That would be naïve of me to consider,” she explained to him. “I think you know that.”
“It’s not like I’m gonna make a break for it as soon as it’s disabled. I don’t exactly want to be a fugitive on the run from the Royal Knights forever,” GrandisKuwagamon informed her. “Besides, aren’t the two viruses separate? If you disable the power inhibitor, then the restraint system is still in place. It’s just so that we can get into the office.”
Paildramon sighed and looked forwards. “I can’t do that,” she said apologetically. “It gives you too much power. I have my orders.”
“Orders that are getting in the way of our ability to do this mission effectively,” he argued. His gaze softened as he stared at Paildramon. “I promise I won’t try anything… I know my priorities.”
“I’m sorry, GrandisKuwagamon,” she replied.
GrandisKuwagamon sighed and rubbed his head. “Look, P…” he said, glancing at her beseechingly. “If this ‘team’ thing is going to work, then you guys are gonna need to actually start trusting me. Yeah, I was a bit of a dick at first, but I know how to be a team player. I’ll be a team player from now on, but I need you guys to trust me too,” he explained, his voice serious and sincere.
Paildramon sighed and looked back at him. “I know…” she answered apologetically. “And I’m starting to… But even if I wanted to, the vaccine that removes the virus is back at Castle Albion; I don’t have it with me.”
“Well, ****…” he muttered, folding his arms. He sighed and shrugged. “…Guess we’ve got no choice. I can try to pick the lock, but it won’t be easy. It’ll take longer but it’ll be less conspicuous than breaking the door in.”
“We’ll figure it out,” Paildramon assured him. “Should we go after the others now?”
GrandisKuwagamon nodded and stood to his feet. “Yeah. Wouldn’t mind getting some food before we go either,” he added.
“We’ll get something,” she agreed, following him out of the booth. The dragon looked at him as she stepped up beside him. “And, thank you for what you did for Dorbickmon.”
“Like I said, it was just self-interest,” he casually responded, walking ahead. “Come on already. Don’t make me get zapped by the damn virus.”
Paildramon smiled a bit and followed after him. They had several hours before sun set. There was plenty of time to plan their infiltration.
-
It was an hour before Evening Light. Dark Point was still as dim and shadowy as if it was midnight. The stars flickered overhead, and the Digital World’s moons emerged in the eastern sky. To the west, traces of deep, amber light began to encroach on the city as the sun started to set over the Delta Ocean.
The covert team moved quickly. They wanted to finish their work at the office complex by night time. They definitely wanted to be done before the office complex closed for the night, and preferably before sunset.
GrandisKuwagamon had told them which floor and room number the office was in. The group had entered the building through conventional means, simply using the front entrance. They didn’t attract much attention, since GrandisKuwagamon frequently visited his office in the past. They reached the fifth floor, which contained a hallway that was shaped like an ‘H’. Black Pincer Company’s office was at the center of the middling, perpendicular hallway.
Dorbickmon and VictoryGreymon were on guard duty. Dorbickmon waited at the right end of the hallway, guarding the stairs and watching for anybody who might be coming up. VictoryGreymon was positioned on the opposite end of the hallway, covering the left side. Meanwhile, Paildramon and GrandisKuwagamon were to enter the office and search for clues. Currently, GrandisKuwagamon was kneeling in front of the office door, slowly trying to pick the lock. He had been at it for about fifteen minutes now. Thankfully for them, nobody had come up.
“You know, this would be so much easier if we had the key…” he dryly hinted as he used a thin half-diamond pick to slowly raise the tumblers of the lock.
“Just focus, GrandisKuwagamon,” Paildramon said from beside him.
“I
am focusing,” he insisted. After a few moments, a tiny click could be heard. “I’ve just about got it…” he said, keeping the torsion wrench firm in his hand.
As Paildramon waited for him to finish, she looked down the hall at Dorbickmon. “Everything okay over there?” she asked him.
“Yeah. No noises or movement,” Dorbickmon responded. “I’ll give you the signal if anything changes.”
“Everything’s all good here too,” VictoryGreymon exclaimed from behind her, waving down the hallway at them.
“Hah!” GrandisKuwagamon announced triumphantly. He turned the torsion wrench sharply and the lock opened successfully. He smirked and turned the doorknob, letting the door open inwards with a smug grin.
Dorbickmon folded his arms and leaned against the wall, glancing over at him. “Don’t look so happy with yourself. How humiliating is it that you have to sneak into your own office?” he taunted with a wry grin.
GrandisKuwagamon smirked. “Least I know how to pick a lock. Now shut up. Guards shouldn’t talk,” he retaliated.
“Neither should prisoners!” Dorbickmon fired back.
VictoryGreymon smiled nervously and rubbed the back of his head. “Uh, you guys go in. We’ll make sure things are safe out here…” he offered, trying to interrupt their argument.
The dark mercenary rolled his eye and looked at Paildramon. “Well? Shall we?” he asked her.
“After you,” she offered, gesturing with her hand to the awaiting threshold.
GrandisKuwagamon opened the door fully and stepped inside. His footsteps were soundless, like a ninja stepping on feathers.
The room was impenetrably dark since it was night out and there were no lights illuminating the area from the inside, but GrandisKuwagamon had excellent night vision to compensate. The office looked exactly the same as the last time he set foot inside its cool, stuffy confines. There was a large closet on the right hand wall for storing jackets, armour, and various other bulky items. Opposite to it, on the left hand wall, was a long, well-used couch that looked like it had seen some wear and tear over the years. On the far wall of the small room, across from the entrance, was a large desk with three chairs behind it, directly in front of a large window. In the left corner, behind the desk, were a couple, metal, file cabinets for storing financial records. Covering the surface of the desk itself was a clutter of papers, scattered haphazardly without much further thought.
GrandisKuwagamon flicked on the office light and walked inside. “Come on,” he said to Paildramon, leading the way into the office. “Close the door behind you.”
Paildramon followed him in and shut the office door. She took the opportunity to look around the office, quickly sizing up the area. She wasn’t especially awed by the state of the room. “Is it always this messy?” she judgmentally asked, noting the clear disorganization and clutter.
“Blitzmon usually keeps things organised, but we left for our Facture job in a hurry. We had a deadline to meet,” GrandisKuwagamon explained, nonchalant at the criticism.
Paildramon nodded and walked up to the desk, placing her clawed hand on it. “…You had no idea who gave you that job?” she probed him.
“Nope,” he said with a shrug as he walked around behind the desk. “He used an intermediary to contact us. It’s not that unusual. A lot of clients want to remain anonymous when they use our services. Since we’re black claws, they worry about our actions leading a trail back to them.”
“I’m sure it’s bad for one’s public image, using the services of such a notorious mercenary gang,” Paildramon suggested with a critical edge to her voice, glancing at the black insect.
“Yup,” GrandisKuwagamon answered matter-of-factly. He briefly shuffled through the papers on the top of the desk. They were mostly invoices and files about their job from before the Facture job.
“It’s a miracle that this place wasn’t broken into while you were gone,” Paildramon mused, walking over to the closet and opening it up.
“You’d think, but people know better than to mess with Black Pincer Company,” GrandisKuwagamon responded, reaching the bottom of the pile of papers. He made sure to leave the papers in their exact positions from when they came in.
Paildramon searched through the closet. It was about one square meter in area. Inside was a pair of black, leather jackets hanging on a closet rail. There were also a few personal effects, like boots, gloves, scarves, and equipment like wrenches, screwdrivers, a bundle of rope, a pair of pliers. The more she thought about it, the less she wanted to know if these items were used for things other than their conventional purposes. More importantly to her, there didn’t seem to be anything of value to finding out their client.
“Let me guess,” Paildramon spoke up, looking over her shoulder at GrandisKuwagamon. “The leather jacket’s yours?” she deduced.
GrandisKuwagamon released a half-exhale, half-laugh. “Good guess. You’ve been checking me out enough to be able to guess my measurements?” he asked with a teasing grin.
Paildramon smiled and rolled her eyes. “No, I somehow just had a feeling...” she responded. “You seem like the type.”
“Hey, don’t knock it. Not every Digimon can pull off looking this good in leather,” he answered as he opened the lower drawer of the desk. After sorting through the papers and letters inside the drawer, he lifted up a false bottom to reveal a few small, glass jugs of runny, amber honey. “Hey, my honey stash is okay…” he mused, more to himself than to Paildramon.
Paildramon turned around from the closet. “Please tell me that that isn’t your term for pornography…” she dryly said.
GrandisKuwagamon grinned and took out a one of the jars, placing it down on the desk emphatically. “No. This is grade-A stuff, all the way from the Golden Swarm. Importing quality **** like this from the Royal Hive… it cost a hell of a lot; Blitzmon nearly had a heart attack when I bought it,” he explained with a laugh.
Paildramon couldn’t help but raise an eyebrow, and she tried her best not to find it amusing that a rough, tough Digimon like GrandisKuwagamon liked something so sweet. “You like honey that much…?”
GrandisKuwagamon’s cheeks tinted a bit and he turned away, marching over to the file cabinet. “…Yeah, well, I’m a bug!” he exclaimed, trying not to sound defensive. “It tastes good.”
Paildramon grinned a bit but decided not to tease him. “Anywhere I should be looking?” she asked him, focusing back on their mission.
“You can try the desk again, but if it’s not in this file cabinet, it might not be looking good,” he answered, opening the top drawer of the file cabinet and going through the chronologically-sorted folders inside.
-
(Continued in the next post)